Threshold
by Whisperwings
Summary: Moving from sunny California to grey-skied Scotland is a change and half for Antonia Thompson. But when she starts having dreams about vampires and then actually meets one, her entire life will really turn upside down!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

A comet flew across the sky, one of the most magnificent things one could ever see. And now it flying slowly right by the moon. But then, right in view, came a hand. A black leather gloved hand, holding onto what appeared to be a magnificent amulet. As the comet drew nearer and nearer to the edge of the full moon, the amulet separated into three rings. Each inside the other. And each began to spin on its own. Soon all you could see was a red gem sitting in the center. And the man holding the amulet spoke.

"Ab ovo…in toto…nil desperandum…sine die…" The man's face is then revealed in the light of the moon. It was sharp and angled, like one without proper nourishment. He was also extremely pale. His eyes were red, and his lips blue from lack of blood. He was a vampire.

And he was not alone. Surrounding him was a group of vampires, all gathered with hope shining in their eyes. Directly at the man's side was a woman who's thick frizzy hair had been clumped into two large bunches. Beside her a boy, almost full grown, who's hair was long and had a rebellious look about his person. Next to him was a girl, who could only be twelve at most, her long blond hair pulled back with a silver circlet. They were all dressed in medieval clothing, jewels shilling from various crowns, collars, and necklaces.

But it was the boy on the man's right side that drew one's attention. He looked to be younger than the rebellious boy, but still old enough to have grown past the awkward teenage stage. One would guess he was about nineteen. His hair was such a dark brown that it looked black. It was shorter, but it stuck up in all directions. He was extremely pale as well, almost pasty really. But his eyes…his eyes were pitch black orbs, glittering with the seriousness of the ritual being preformed.

Just then the wind picked up, whipping about the hair and clothing of those present. A red light shot from the place where the comet crossed in front of the edge of the moon, piercing the red jewel in the center of the amulet the man still held. Everyone stood in expectation, waiting for something. Until a shout came from behind them.

"Vampires!" a gruff voice shouted. Everyone spun to see various torches and lanterns floating through the mist. As they came closer, they were revealed to be attached to a wagon, a man at the front whipping his horses to go faster and faster.

"Be careful! Watch out!" the first vampire said, pushing the amulet and his family out of sight behind him. The man in the wagon reined his horses to a stop, standing with what looked like a large wooden sword. He hopped to the ground, still shouting in anger. The wooden sword was revealed to actually be a large cross.

"Give me that stone!" the Vampire hunter shouted. He jumped at the head vampire, and they grappled for the amulet. The others shouted for him not to surrender it, to keep fighting, but the innermost piece of the amulet suddenly flew from his hand. Time seemed to slow down, and a blond vampire is seen watching the jewel pass overhead. And then it went right over the side of the cliff. The blond vampire didn't hesitate for a moment, jumping over the edge of the cliff to get the amulet back.

Far below, a girl sat in her bed, which had been floating in the sea at the base of the cliffs. She watched in silence as the amulet fell and plopped into the water not too far from her. At the sound of a shout she looked up again, only to see a vampire flying down directly at her. She shrieked and scrambled to get away, but she knew it was hopeless. She ducked under her covers, hoping to escape somehow in the comforting warmth of the blankets.

Chapter 1

Antonia Thompson shot up from her bed with a shriek. She clutched at her blankets, breathing heavily for a moment as she tried to get her bearing. She heard footsteps and two people opened her door, causing her to shriek again.

"Toni!" One of them shouted, and Toni clapped her mouth shut. It was only her parents…how embarrassing. "Honey, are you alright?" Toni gave them a smile and a nod.

"I'm fine Mom, it was just a dream."

"The one about the vampires again?" Her mom, Dottie, leaned against the doorway, swiping her sleeping mask from her head where it had bunched up her short blond hair. Toni's dad, Bob, just sat down the golf club he'd brought with a sigh, running his hands through is cropped grey hair. Toni felt bad already. Her dad had a tough job, and she had woken him up every night for the past week with her stupid dreams.

"Yeah." Toni admitted to her mom. She didn't say anything more. She hadn't told anyone about her dream outside of her journal, and wasn't planning on changing tactics any time soon. She flopped back onto her pillow instead. "But I'm fine, you can go back to sleep." Her parents looked at each other but didn't argue, simply shuffled back downstairs to the master bedroom on the lower level. Once they were out of hearing range, Toni sat up and flipped on the lamp next to her bed, grabbing her new journal. She certainly wasn't tired at the moment.

Antonia Thompson was a regular teenage girl from AmFlinta. Her blond hair brushed her shoulder blades, and her green eyes were more likely to sparkle with happiness than sadness. Everyone called her Toni, and the eighteen year old was happy with that. She played soccer and loved to drive too fast, and was looking for colleges and thinking of what she wanted her major to be.

Also, she lived in a castle. Despite her normality, Toni was anything but. Her dad had recently gotten a job in Scotland as a developer, helping some rich family to turn their land into a golf resort. Having been born and raised in San Diego, it was quite a change. The house the family had gotten was actually a remodeled castle. On the inside, it felt like any other house in the suburbs of AmFlinta, they just had a few balconies and tower.

Toni and her mom had painted the highest room in the tower a soft green color when they first arrived, designating it Toni's room. She had a balcony, large windows, and a bathroom of her own, giving her a bit more freedom to be a teenager without her parents breathing down her neck. She didn't need much space, just enough for a very large drafting table style desk and her queen sized bed. She'd started using a wardrobe as well, seeing as the castle didn't have closets. While normal in Europe, Toni missed something as simple as a closet.

As Toni scratched in her journal, she had to sigh. Tomorrow was Monday, which meant it was time for yet another horrible school week. Toni wasn't a bad student really, but this school was bonkers. She was an automatic social outcast being a 'Crazy yank'. She'd moved only for her senior year of high school. The only two guys who really talked to her seemed convinced she was nothing but a slut and enjoyed bullying her whenever they had the chance. But she couldn't tell a soul about it. They were the grandsons of the richest man around, who also happened to be her Dad's boss.

And to top everything off, these weird dreams of the vampires on the cliff had been haunting her. She'd dreamt it every night since she'd arrived in their new home, and it was really starting to freak her out. Being a bit of an artist, she'd sketched out people in her dream. It was just her luck that someone had stolen her sketchbook at school. Everyone there now thought she was obsessed with vampires. The worst part was that they may be right. She couldn't stop thinking about them…

Toni finally tucked her journal between the mattresses on the bed; she didn't want her parents reading it. She then flicked off the lamp and flopped onto her pillow. She wasn't worried about the nightmare, it never came more than once in a single night. Instead, she was busy dreading school. She looked out the window at the brightest star there, wishing for a moment that there was someone on her side…and fell asleep.

Next morning, Toni almost slept right through her alarm clock. Thankfully, her mom came in to throw open the curtains. As the sunlight streamed into the room, Toni groaned. But rather than hiding her face from the brightness, she made herself sit up and roll out of bed. Still half asleep, and feeling rather undead herself, Toni took a shower and got dressed. In an effort to make herself brave, she put on some of her favorite clothes. A purple tank top with a jean skirt that went to her knees. She completed the look with brown clogs and by pulling her hair into a ponytail over one shoulder. Finally she went downstairs. She sat at the kitchen counter, grabbing some bacon from the plate her mom placed in front of her.

"Mom, do you like this place?" Toni asked then.

"It's a big change for you I know. New house, new school, new country." Toni smirked.

"You didn't answer my question." Dottie sighed, taking a seat on the other stool.

"I do like it here. It's a change, but I think it's a good change. We can go back to our roots, you know?"

"I suppose…"

"And Scotland is beautiful, isn't it?"

"If you don't have Vampires…" Toni muttered, pushing her scrambled eggs about on her plate.

"Honey, it's just a dream, and dreams aren't real."

"I know what a dream is, Mother."

"And there's no such thing as vampires either."

"Mom…" Toni groaned again, shoving a sausage in her mouth.

"Toni-" Dottie started and Toni rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna be late, I'll see you later." She said around the sausage. She grabbed her long white sweater, sliding it on quickly and tying the ribbon at the empire waist. She then grabbed her brown corduroy satchel of a backpack and her keys, and left through the large front door.

Walking outside was refreshing. The early morning sun was warming the earth and dew drops still sparkled on their green expanse of a lawn. And on one side of the driveway sat Toni's pride and joy. Her silver convertible car. She was lucky, she'd been eighteen before moving to Europe, so she hadn't had to go through the difficult process of getting a European driver's license. And as an apology for making her move right before her senior year of high school, her parents had gotten her a car of her own. A new one to boot.

She eagerly hopped into her car and started the engine, starting quickly down the winding road to the main village where the school was. It was too damp and cold to put the top down, but not to open the windows and turn up her radio. And she did just that, a European techno song coming on. Toni had quickly become familiar with the band, they were called the Vengaboys. Back home the kids would have laughed at her for listening to techno music at all let alone liking it. But it had grown on Toni rather quickly.

The hardest part was remembering to drive on the left side of the road. It was hard enough with the steering wheel being on the right side of the car. She'd gotten cursed and yelled at more than once for being on the wrong side of the road. And most of the time she didn't understand a thing they said. An English accent Toni could understand just fine, but the Scottish accent could be completely intelligible sometimes.

Finally, she made it to school. Reluctantly she switched off the ignition and climbed out of her car. A part of her would rather spend the day driving around aimlessly in the countryside. Toni had always felt it was the closest she would ever get to flying. And it sounded much better than putting up with another school day. Though she wasn't stupid by any means, she was considered so. Even the teachers seemed to assume that she couldn't possibly be any smarter than their own students. And Toni, though she'd never been shy, closed up entirely. She never spoke unless asked a direct question, and even then she kept it short.

And the day started off badly. At the gate to the school stood two boys. Nigel and Flint McAshton, the sons of her dad's boss. Toni ducked her head and tried to just walk past, maybe they'd leave her alone today… No such luck. Nigel stuck out his hand, blocking her path.

"Hello girly." He said in his sophisticated Scottish accent. "Care to help me with my homework?"

"Do it for you, you mean?" Toni asked savagely. "I don't think so." Flint stepped forward.

"Oh come on, we know you just love to help the boys." He said. "We'll show you a good time later if you like." Toni just rolled her eyes.

"Just shove off alright?" she glared at them.

"Oooo, she's picking up the lingo, did you hear that Flint?" Nigel said in mock surprise. Toni gritted her teeth, pushing past them and into the school, their laughter ringing in her ears.

Oh yeah…a great start.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Woohoo! Finally! It's time to really get this party started people :D I've been working on this story on and off for ages, and I figured it was about time I started posting it. After all, nothing motivated a writer more than the deadline to post =P_

_Note, you don't have to have seen the Little Vampire movie to read this! I explain everything, so you'll get the story perfectly fine even if you haven't seen the movie :D_

_So, as you can see..I made Toni a girl. And older. That's about it really...though i've added in a lot of other stuff on their adventure. I dunno if this has been done before...never even read any other Little Vampire fanfics before. So I haven't copied anyone on purpose!_

_You're Excited Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"On Saturday night, we'll be able to see Comet Forsey in conjunction with the moon for the first time in three hundred years." Toni shook herself out of her daydreams to try and listen to her science teacher. Normally this was a higher level Chemistry class. Similar to AP Chemistry back in America but without the college credit. Toni had always been good at math and science, and had easily tested into the class. This week however, they were focusing on the chemical makeup of the various planets, in honor of the comet that was coming. Toni had been spending the class sketching again, this time drawing the amulet from her dream.

Now though she looked at the board in surprise. The drawing of the comet and the moon looked exactly the way it had in her dream! She shuffled through her drawing folder, pulling out the sketch she'd done earlier of the comet. It looked just like the teacher's drawing.

"As usual, our American friend is ahead of schedule." She heard the teacher say, and she looked up in shock to see the teacher right next to her desk. Toni blushed at being caught not paying attention. The teacher picked up her comet sketch in interest. But under it was a drawing of the boy in the dream, the one who'd held her attention in a way none of the others had. And his vampire teeth were perfectly noticeable. The teacher picked it up next and Toni's blush deepened. "Vampires again, Toni?" he said scathingly. She looked down, not answering, He dropped the papers back onto her desk. "Could you at least attempt to pay attention? I doubt you've foreseen what I'll be teaching today in your dreams." He turned and went back to the board. Toni stuffed her drawings into her bag and out of sight, but didn't miss the McAshton brothers muttering.

"Fly back to California, creep." The moment the bell for class rang, Toni dashed out of the room, down the hall and into the fresh air outside. She went directly to her car and climbed in, not allowing anyone time to try and bother her again. She drove off, leaving the other kids in a cloud of dust from the dry road in her hurry to escape.

She drove around for almost two hours, trying to calm down and think of things other than school and vampires. But it wasn't working. She finally gave up and went home, going straight up to her room without even answering her mother's question of how her day was.

The afternoon was spent sitting at her desk doing various activities. She worked on homework for a time, scribbled in her journal some, but most was spent on perfecting the drawing of the vampire boy. She was finishing up when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She hid the drawing in her desk, and pulled her math textbook over, trying to look as if that was she'd been doing the whole time. Something tapping her foot made her look down. A golf ball sat by her feet. She reached down and picked it up, turning to see her dad holding a gold club.

"What's up?" she asked him curiously.

"Look what I got you." He said holding out the club. Toni took it in confusion.

"A golf club?"

"A whole set of golf clubs." He said. From behind his bag he pulled out a golf bag. It was purple, and the golf clubs all had purple handles. "You know the game was invented in Scotland."

"Yeah I know." She set the golf club down, fingering the shining silver head. "But Dad, you know golf has never been my thing."

"I know you still have your heart set on playing soccer-"

"It's called Football here." She reminded him.

"Either way…you don't have a team to play on, so I thought I'd introduce you to the world of golf."

"But golf is boring." She said, knowing she was wining and hating it. "There's no one to play _with_."

"Well that's the beauty of golf, you don't need anyone to play with."

"That's not the point, I want to play a sport with other people."

"Then I'll teach you." Her dad offered.

"You never have time." Toni reminded him. This wasn't wining, it was the truth. Bob was busy working on Lord McAshton's golf resort day in and day out, leaving before anyone else was awake and rarely coming home in time for dinner. And before he could say anything, Dottie came in.

"There you are." She said to her husband and looked at Toni teasingly. "Do we need to call a babysitter for you?" Toni screwed up her face in an amused grimace.

"That's ok, I won't burn the house down."

"It'd be hard to do with these stone walls." Her mom pointed out, helping Bob into his suit jacket. She was wearing a sparkling black dress and looked lovely.

"When are you gonna be back?" Toni asked.

"It'll be rather late, hun. There are leftovers in the fridge for you." Toni nodded, sliding the golf club into the bag with the rest.

"It's business, Lord McAshton invited us. All the investors are going to be there." Toni nodded again, pretending to look interested.

"Hey look at these." Dottie said, spotting some of her drawings in her backpack. She pulled two of them out. One was the amulet drawing, and the other was the drawing of the vampire clan on the cliff top. "I had no idea your drawing had gotten so good." Bob grabbed the one of the vampires and gave Dottie a look. Toni rolled her eyes. As a kid she wouldn't have noticed, but now it was as bad as if he was talking about her as if she wasn't there.

"Right. Great…you know, if you want to do something really cool, draw me a picture of Tiger Woods." He turned and left the room, and Toni smirked at her mom. She pulled a framed sketch of Tiger Woods from her bottom desk drawer and handed it to Dottie.

"I figured it'd be a good birthday present." She said with a grin. Dottie laughed. She hugged Toni around the shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't stay up too late, and try not to give yourself any nightmares." Toni laughed in false confidence. She watched as her mom left the room, wondering if she'd ever have a reason to wear such a pretty dress. "Be a good girl!" Dottie called as she started down the stairs.

"Yes mother!" Toni called back, turning back to her drawings with a smile. She shoved the textbook out of the way again and grabbed a fresh piece of paper. She started to sketch a dress for herself with fervor as inspiration struck her. She considered herself to be a decent fashion designer, and enjoyed dreaming up clothing for her imaginary label. Most of her clothing had either modern designs or more traditional designs. She'd often sketch out gypsy skirts in the same afternoon as a geometric cocktail dress.

Once finished, Toni looked at the dress with a smile. It had some renaissance detailing, like that from the vampires in her dreams. She remembered something hanging in her closet and her smile grew. She hopped up from her chair and skipped to her closet, rummaging about until she found what she was looking for.

It was supposed to be just a costume for a party that the McAshton's were having on Halloween night on Friday, only four days away. Toni had worked really hard on the costume too. Toni was going as a vampire, surprise surprise. Her dress was a medieval style, but with a modern flair. It had been great fun to design, and had taken a lot of work to make it all come together. She'd finished sewing it the night before, and now wanted to add the trimmings and ribbons and lacings and such.

Toni worked for almost an hour and half before she was finished. Then, in her excitement of finally being done, she decided to see how it looked. She slipped the cool fabric over her head, loving how it flowed. Her mom had paid for some more expensive stuff, knowing how excited Toni was at actually putting together one of her designs. Now, Toni twirled, looking in the mirror. She pulled her blond hair out of its ponytail, letting the soft curls flow about her shoulders. But it was missing something, her teeth. She went to her desk and pulled out the teeth she'd ordered online, they fit over her existing canines like caps. They'd fit better and wouldn't make her talk funny, unlike the cheap plastic ones. She held one onto her tooth, inspecting it in the mirror. Perfect.

"Ab ovo…in toto..." she said to herself in the mirror, speaking the words from her dream. She then laughed at herself, shaking her head.

Not wanting to waste the special glue for the teeth, she put them back in their box. Toni looked in the mirror once more with a sigh, knowing she should go ahead and change into her pajamas in any case. She was trying to reach the lacing on the back when something swooshed outside the window. She looked up in time to a shadow flit across the moonlight flooding in from the balcony. She spun to look, only seeing the curtains blowing in the breeze. She went to the door to her balcony and leaned out, but didn't see anything. How odd… Then a screeching sound behind her made her spin around in time to see…a bat? It was! A bat, larger than most, flew across her room, landing in the depth of the fireplace.

Toni inched her way forwards, wondering if the chimney was blocked. Maybe the bat could fly out that way? Or maybe she should open all her windows and shoo it out that way. A flash of light in the fireplace made her jump back in surprise. Clutching at her soft green dress, she stepped forward again. She jumped again when the thing she saw in the darkest corner wasn't a bat any longer, but a person! His face looked off, his nose was fuzzy. She almost laughed when the boy hit the back of his head, and his nose changed into a fully human one. Toni was still nervous, yet oddly…she wasn't. He seemed familiar somehow. She inched forward a bit more to try and see him better.

"What clan…are you from?" he asked, sounding as if he barely had the strength for words. "Have the lights gone?"

"Who…who are you?" she asked hesitantly, squinting to see through the shadows. He seemed to finally see her clearly, and he hissed. Yes hissed. Toni was about to ask if he was alright when he spoke again, sounding angry now.

"You are not of the brotherhood." He said. Toni noticed two things. She first noticed the abnormally sharp canines in his mouth. And that his eyes were very, very black, seeming to pierce her very soul.

"I'm more of a sister type, really." She said, trying to disguise the fear in her voice.

"You're human. You're full of blood!" Now he looked less angry and more hungry.

"And I'd really prefer to keep it that way." She said, taking another step back. Her legs hit the trunk at the end of her bed, and she sat down on the lid. He hissed at her once again and Toni ran for the door. He was faster though, speeding past her like lightning. Very dark lighting. He landed on the door, somehow clinging to the wall and hissing down at her.

Toni thought faster than she'd even known she could. She continued to the door, knowing that if she tried to stop she'd slide into it anyway, and turning was pointless as there was nowhere to hide. She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open with a jerk, causing the boy to slip and fall to the ground. Toni froze. Rather than getting up to try and catch her, the boy just lay there, looking unable to move. Her fear disappeared again, and she slowly went towards him.

"I'm too weak…" he muttered. She kneeled at his side.

"Are you alright…do you need help?" she asked him. He turned his head to look at her. He didn't look angry or hungry anymore, instead confusion and curiosity filled his eyes.

"What twisted kind of mortal are you?" he asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Toni asked, not knowing if she should feel offended or not.

"You dress like we do…and you're not afraid of me." he said, his voice still sounding weak and exhausted. She smirked.

"I'm wearing a costume, I guess you can't say the same. And I'm not afraid of you because…I know you." The last bit she said as she realized why he seemed so familiar, her voice betraying her own surprise at the revelation. "I…I saw you in my dream."

"Must have been a nightmare." He said, sounding as if he was trying to be frightening again but failing miserably.

"More of a memory I think…" she muttered. Not understanding he shook his head, working to get up.

"I must leave."

"But you can't even walk." She pointed out. She moved out of his way, but didn't make an effort to help.

"Who needs to walk…" he muttered, pushing his way around her and running toward the door to the balcony, "When I can fly?" Toni followed him to the door, watching as he climbed into a notch in the stone wall. He jumped, and fell. Toni wondered if it was her imagination that he seemed to hover a bit before plummeting to the ground below…She went forward to the balcony's edge, looking down to see the boy laying on the ground, still.

"Well at least he missed the thorn bushes…" she muttered.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_And now we're getting somewhere :) Yes, I've added a dance. I've added more than that too, but you'll have to stick around and see ;)_

_Please review and let me know what you think!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Toni shivered on the balcony in the breeze. She was still dressed in her costume and looking down at the fallen vampire boy. Well, she couldn't just leave him there… She went back inside her room, slipping out of the dress and into jeans and a green sweater. It had a wide neck, but it was wonderfully soft and fuzzy. Her hair she bound into a ponytail once more as she made her way downstairs. She went outside and found the boy, still lying where he'd fallen.

"Are you okay?" she asked in concern, kneeling at his side.

"Do I look it?" he asked, his voice muffled by the ground. Just then a vehicle drove by the side gate of the courtyard. Toni turned to see a large truck, bright spotlights swooping about menacingly. "Rookery!" the boy said, pulling himself back enough to hide in Toni's shadow. Still looking ready to collapse, Toni put a hand on one shoulder, holding his swaying body upright. "Do you…" he started, breathing heavily, and Toni turned back to him. "Do you know where I can get a cow?"

"A cow? We have milk inside-"

"No…a cow. Please hurry." He said, only now allowing his own fear and worry to enter his voice. Toni bit her lip, looking back towards the gate.

"Hold on." She said, standing. She dashed inside and grabbed her car keys where they hung from a hook on the wall by the back door before dashing back outside to the boy. "Alright, come on." She said, pulling one of the boy's arms over her shoulder and helping him to his feet. He was almost a foot taller than she was, but she managed. She helped him over to the passenger side of her car, opening the door and easing him inside. She went around to the other side and climbed into the driver's seat. "Put your seatbelt on." She ordered, doing the same for herself. The boy slowly attempted to do so, seeming to take a while to figure out how the seatbelt worked. In the end, she had to buckle it for him. He apparently hadn't been in a car before. She started up the vehicle, noticing that he didn't flinch at the light from her headlights.

"So…this light doesn't bother you, how come the ones on that truck did?" she asked him as she made her way along the twisting road.

"It's the kind of lights they are. It used to be the Vampire Hunters used fire to fight us, as it hurts us more than mortals. But then someone discovered how to make light which has the same effect as the sun. The hunters use those now."

"Oh, the UV bulbs." Toni said in understanding.

"Where are we going?" he asked, looking out the window in interest.

"There's a dairy farm not too far from here, I'm taking you there." She told him, focusing on staying on the left side of the road again. They arrived a few moments later, and Toni pulled up across from the barn next to the fence. She went around the side to help the boy from the car, taking most of his weight on her shoulder as they made their way inside. There were five cows lined up against the wall, all munching from a trough of food. The boy went forward on his own, whispering to the cow to keep her calm. He went around to her side and Toni watched. Then she heard an odd sucking sound as he bit into the cow's side. The sounds got louder, the boy was sucking and licking greedily and Toni grimaced.

"Ok, that's gross." She muttered, turning away. She left the barn, deciding to wait by the car for the boy. If he decided to come back at least. It wouldn't surprise her too much if he left for good. She hoped he didn't, she wanted to ask him about the dream. She walked across the road to her car and leaned against the side to wait, stuffing her hands in her pants pockets.

But then she noticed an odd blinking red light down the road. She watched it curiously, trying to see what it was. Suddenly a very bright light turned on, shining right in her face. She held up an arm to shield her eyes, still trying to see the source of the light. She squinted past the glare and noticed headlights. A loud engine roared to life and she stepped away from her car in alarm. The lights then started coming closer and closer, and she stepped back in fright.

She realized her error as the truck sped up. She was stuck on the road between a stone wall on one side and a very steep hill on the other. And there was no way she could outrun the monster vehicle. She backed up faster, unable to come up with an escape plan. She thought she heard a gruff voice from the truck shouting.

"Let's see you escape from me now!" the truck lurched forward, he must have slammed on the gas pedal. She gasped before screaming in fear.

"Shut your eyes!" a voice yelled to her. She followed the order before realizing it was the vampire boy who'd said it. He grabbed her around the shoulders, swinging the other arm behind her knees. He lifted her as if she was as light a feather, and the sounds of the truck faded away. Toni wondered where the boy had carried her, but obeyed his order to keep her eyes shut. A minute later, he set her down on an unstable surface. She grinned, though still kept her eyes shut.

"What is this, a Bouncy Castle?"

"You can open your eyes now." He said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She opened them, blinking the spots away. Before her was a vast expanse of the Scottish highlands, with green pastures and fields as far as she could see. Her jaw fell open, they were sitting on top of a blimp!

"Wow…." She whispered, turning to look in all directions. A smile spread across her face. It was beautiful! The moon was waxing, it's pure light falling all around them and across the Scottish countryside.

"Enjoying the view?" the boy asked, and she turned to smile at him.

"Absolutely." She said; with such feeling that he chuckled. She laughed as well, enjoying the happy look on his face. "And thank you." She went on. He looked at her, not understanding. "You kind of just saved my life." She reminded him. He smirked, but looked rather embarrassed.

"I still don't understand you."

"What don't you understand?" she asked, taking a seat.

"You should be screaming in terror."

"I was a minute ago."

"I mean about me. I'm a vampire, but you're not afraid. Why?" he asked, sitting as well, their knees brushing. Toni realized how close they were sitting and blushed a bit, but she didn't feel the need to move away.

"It's this dream." She told him. "I've had it almost every night since I got here." She looked into his eyes again. "And you're in it. So…I guess kinda I feel like I know you."

"If you know me so well, then what's my name?" she realized he was teasing a moment later and smirked back at him.

"No clue." He grinned.

"My name is Rudolf."

"As in the red nosed reindeer?" she asked in surprise. She'd expected him to have more of a Halloween type name, not a Christmassy one. Jack would have been great, like from The Nightmare Before Christmas. That's what she'd been calling him in her head at least, ever since she saw him in her dream.

"I'm not sure I understand the reference." he admitted and she laughed.

"Never mind then. I'm Toni."

"Isn't that a boy's name?"

"Only if you spell it with a Y at the end." She said knowingly. "My full name is Antonia, but everyone calls me Toni."

"I've never had a nickname before." Rudolf said and she smiled, leaning back to look at the stars.

"Well, I can fix that if you give me some time. I'll come up with something that suits you."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Hey what are friends for?" she said, getting to her feet and stretching her arms towards the heavens.

"Friends?" He repeated, standing as well as he asked the question. She looked up at him with a friendly smile.

"Well, we saved each other's lives didn't we?" she stuck out a hand for him to shake.

"Yes. Yes we did." He took her hand and shook it. "Friends." Toni erupted into giggles at how serious they were both acting about the issue, and Rudolf joined her in laughter. She looked around, a mischievous smile growing on her face and turned back to him.

"I've always wanted to do this!" she exclaimed and started jumping. It was a lot like being on a trampoline in truth, but a much larger area. Rudolf watched her incredulously for a few moments, before laughing and joining in. However, it was a tiring activity, and Toni soon flopped down, lying on her back and staring at the sky.

She finally sighed, wondering how late it was. "I should probably be getting home. I need to get my car back first though or my parents will freak." She sat up then in a slight panic. "Rudolf, how do we get down from here?" she asked.

"We'll fly." She looked up at him from her seat. His hands were in the pockets of his black jeans. He had a red shirt on, with a long block coat over it. All his clothing looked like it had seen better days, but somehow suited him.

"But…I can't fly." She reminded him.

"I got you up here didn't I?" he pointed out, grinning down at her.

"Well…I suppose that's true." She acquiesced, though still somewhat reluctantly.

"Then stay calm, friend." He winked, and Toni's fears melted away somewhat. "All right, let's fly." Toni looked at the view, now only seeing the height, and back up at him uncertainly. Rudolf simply held out his hand. "As long as I'm holding onto you, you'll be fine." Toni reached up, sliding her hand into his. "Ready?" he asked, pulling her up from her seat. Before Toni could agree, or disagree, she was on her feet and suddenly…not. She was flying!

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_I admit, i'm not nearly as happy with these earlier chapters as I am with later ones. Please keep in mind that I wrote these a few years ago and that my writing has greatly improved since then!_

_In the meantime, i hope you stick around, and please review to tell me what you think!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Toni looked down as the blimp grew smaller and smaller, the landscape stretching beneath her. She looked up at Rudolf, an uncertain smile on her face as her fingers squeezed his in nervousness.

"Oh my gosh…I'm really flying. Aren't I?" She asked breathlessly. He nodded and her fears blew away in the breeze completely, her excitement taking over.

"You can steady yourself like I am." Rudolf told her. "That way I won't just be pulling you along." Toni nodded, straightening her arms to her sides, and coming up even with him. Her smile was contagious it seemed, Rudolf seemed to enjoy her excitement.

"This is incredible." She said. "I've had dreams of flying for as long as I can remember. It's even better than I'd imagined! It must be wonderful to be a vampire." She thought wistfully of not needing to go to school to bullies and being able to fly whenever she wanted.

"Membership does have its privileges." Rudolf said with a chuckle. While he was amused at Toni's excitement, he also reveled in it. He'd always loved to fly, but it was still an everyday activity to him. Seeing how much Toni loved the experience made him appreciate the flight all the more. They flew over one of the largest houses in the area soon after.

"Hey, that's the McAshton place! My parents are at a party there." She told him, pointing. Soon after they were flying over the village. "And that's where I go to school." She pointed to the large imposing building at the north end of town. "You know, you're different than I expected." She said randomly. "Not you personally, but as a vampire in general."

"My father's seen to that." Rudolf told her, understanding what she was trying, and failing, to say. "We're a family, not fiends. That's why we only try to drink cow's blood."

"But don't you normally drink human blood?"

"We used to. But now we've got to make do with cows. We've been hunted for centuries, and are constantly in hiding. We want to become humans, not eat them for dinner." Toni nodded, though she'd only been half listening. Rudolf's English accent was soothing to her ears after all the sharper Scottish accents surrounding her for the past few weeks. Then she spotted something that made her nervous again.

"Can you see what color that car is?" she asked him, pointing to the one car on the road.

"Green. Man and woman inside. Man talking very loudly and waving his hands."

"Oh crap, that's my parents!" she exclaimed. "If they get home before I do, I'm screwed!" Rudolf took the hint and sped past the car. They went past Toni's castle of a house to the barn where her car was. They landed gently on the ground, Toni running straight to the car. "Hop in!" she told him, scrambling into the driver's side. Rudolf did so, closing the door as Toni started the engine. She sped off down the road, not caring that she was way over the speed limit. "How long do you think we have?" she asked him.

"I'd guess about two minutes, five at most." She stepped harder onto the gas, turning the gentle curve towards her house. She pulled quickly into the large driveway, parking in her usual spot on the side. They both climbed out and she had just locked the door when headlights came into the driveway. Rudolf grabbed her hand and pulled her around the side of the house, taking off and flying towards her balcony as her parents opened the front door.

They landed there and scrambled inside the room. "Quick, hide!" she told him, not taking the time to see where he went. Without bothering to change or even take off her shoes, Toni hopped into bed, pulling her duvet cover up to her chin, trying to hide all evidence of her clothes. She knew her parents would be up any second to make sure she wasn't still awake. She was right, as moments later they came up the stairs and opened her door. They stopped, but Toni didn't know what they were doing as she kept her eyes carefully shut. She did however hear them both sniff.

"What's that?" Bob asked curiously. Toni subtly took a deeper breath herself, as if sighing in her sleep. Then she realized what they'd noticed. It was an odd musty smell, like freshly dug earth, or being in a cave or an old castle. It was a scent that hovered around Rudolf constantly, but Toni hadn't thought about it enough to realize what it was before. Dottie came to the bed, her heels clicking on the floor. She brushed a stray hair out of Toni's face and kissed her on the forehead. If she'd been awake – or at least not pretending to be asleep – Toni would have complained about how she wasn't a little kid anymore. As they made their way to the door quietly, Toni opened one eye. She looked up into a corner of her ceiling, where Rudolf hung comfortably. He put a finger to his lips and she glanced at the door, shutting her eye when she saw Dottie still standing there. Only once she heard the door shut completely did she throw the covers off. Rudolf hopped down from his hiding place, the musty smell getting stronger as he did so. But it was a smell Toni didn't really mind, it was actually rather comforting.

"So, are those your parents? They look nice."

"And tasty?" she asked in a teasing voice. He gave her a fake glare but grinned at the lame joke.

"No, nice. As in very nice."

"They have their moments." She said, sitting on her bed and pulling her shoes off. Rudolf wandered to the balcony door.

"I suppose I must take my leave." He stopped at the windows, looking outside for a moment before turning back to her. "I haven't had such a good time with a girl since I really was nineteen." Toni blushed a bit, but grinned. "Thanks." He turned back to the window and Toni hopped to her feet.

"Would…would you like to stay here?" she asked without thinking. For some reason she was afraid that if he left now she'd never see him again. Rudolf then stepped back, hiding behind the solid curtains.

"Maybe I should." He said. Toni went to the window and noticed the big red truck of the vampire hunter, patrolling the roads nearby. Secretly, she was glad about it. It meant Rudolf wouldn't take off right away. She looked up at him with a smirk.

"Do vampires always sleep in coffins? Because that could be a problem."

"Just as long as the sun can't find me." he said with an amused smile, looking down at her. He turned and looked about the room. He went to the chest at the end of her bed. "This would be excellent." Toni looked into the trunk, at all the stuff piled inside. She had boxes of art supplies, old board games, and tons and tons of sketchbooks, all mixed up.

"Sure thing. I'm gonna have to find a place to put all this junk though." She said, going to the wardrobe in the corner to see if she had extra shelf space.

"Junk? It's a treasure chest!" Rudolf exclaimed. He picked up the sketchbook on the top of the pile and flipped through it. "These are really good…" he said, sounding surprised. She shifted the random stuff into the bottom of the wardrobe, closing the doors to keep it from spilling over the floor. She blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks. Wish others thought that."

"Other humans don't think you're any good?" he asked in surprise.

"It's more that they think I'm crazy because of my latest favorite subject matter." She went to the desk and grabbed the picture of Rudolf from her dream. She handed it to him, and he stared in wonder.

"That's me!" he said in shock.

"Yup, and thanks to those drawings, _everyone_ thinks I'm obsessed with Vampires." Rudolf looked up at her with a grin.

"And are you?"

"Obsessed with vampires? I certainly am now that I know you're real." She said, a smile on her own face. She grabbed a spare pillow from her bed and squished it into one side of the trunk.

"I guess you need to sleep now. It's late for mortals." Rudolf said, shutting the sketchbook. She chuckled.

"That sounds really weird when you say it like that…but yeah. I need to get _some_ sleep or I'll never stay awake all through school tomorrow." Rudolf climbed into the trunk, actually looking quite comfortable once he lay down. Toni was glad she'd opted for the larger trunk now, the small one that had been her second choice would never have worked. Even this one would have been much too small for her own liking.

"Until the night." Rudolf said and she smiled down at him.

"Until the night." She repeated, copying his accent with a grin and closing the lid softly. Now that male eyes were safely hidden away, she changed into her pajamas. She chose a plain white sleeveless nightgown, feeling in an old fashioned mood. She climbed into bed, turned off her lamp, and put her arms behind her head. She thought of something, and knowing Rudolf wasn't going to be tired enough to fall asleep for a while, asked it.

"So, how old are you exactly?"

"Technically I'm nineteen. I've just been nineteen for over three hundred years." She could hear the smile in his voice, even through the trunk.

"Being a vampire sounds amazing." She said wistfully. "I kind of wish I could be one…"

"No, you don't know what you're asking." Rudolf said, a bit forcibly.

"Only doing some of the most incredible stuff I've ever done in my whole life."

"No blue skies, Toni. No birds singing. No flowers in the sunlight. Just this constant night."

"I've always been a night person." She admitted, but she kept a joking tone. She'd heard the sadness in Rudolf's voice and didn't want to argue. He was right too, she liked having both day and night, she'd never want to be limited to one of them. "I prefer to sleep late and stay up late."

"What about sunrises?" he asked and she laughed.

"Rudy, the only time I see the sunrise is if I stayed up all night to see it."

"….you called me Rudy."

"I told you I'd find you the perfect nickname didn't I?"

"Rudy….you know, I rather like it."

"Told ya." She said with a yawn. She heard Rudolf chuckle.

"Goodnight, Toni."

"G'night, Rudy."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Hurray for nicknames! I love nicknames, they're fun :D I kind of wish I could get people in real life to call be Whisper...that would be so cool!_

_Review and let me know what your nickname is! Or what you wish it could be :D And...maybe let me know if you liked the chapter, that'd be good to :P_

_Your Goofy Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Toni awoke the next morning to Dottie throwing open the curtains and letting the sun shine in. Toni slowly blinked her eyes, squinting in the glare. She wished she were a turtle who could just go back into its shell and sleep some more. As it was she had to content herself with ducking under the covers again.

"Oh no you don't." her mom said, pulling the duvet right off the bed.

"Yeesh mom, it's cold!" Toni protested, curling up into a ball around her pillow.

"Oh get over it you big baby. You're lucky I came to wake you up, you didn't turn on your alarm. You better hurry or you'll be late." Toni looked at the clock saw how late it was. She gasped, shooting to her feet.

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed, dashing to her bathroom. She took the quickest shower she'd ever taken. And was getting dressed when the events from the night before came flooding back. She went to her chest, rubbing a towel through her hair and knelt beside it. She knocked on the side. "Hey Rudy, you in there?" she called.

"Hmm…what?" she heard a sleepy voice say and she grinned. It hadn't been a dream. Not to mention this was probably considered staying up late for the guy.

"Never mind, I'll see you later." She said, and finished getting ready for the day.

"Hey honey, you hungry?" she heard her mom call from downstairs.

"I could eat a cow!" Toni shouted back merrily. She heard a tired chuckle from the trunk and her smile grew. "You better not snore." She said, kicking the side of the chest as she walked by. "Otherwise my parents will be really confused."

She dressed that day in another tank top as it looked to be warmer than the day before, this one a dark green with a simple leaf pattern. She slid on a brown handkerchief skirt which went down to her calves, and brown flat sandals. She tied a gold ribbon around her head to hold her hair from her face and dashed downstairs where her school bag already was. She sat at the counter and started gobbling up food.

"My goodness, hungry?"

"Starving." Toni informed her between bites. She remembered the leftovers that had been left the night before, and how she hadn't ever eaten them. She finished her food in record time and dashed out the door, grabbing her school bag on the way. "By Mom, see you later!" she called. She climbed into her car and started the engine, driving off towards the school.

"Mornin' vampy." She heard a voice say after getting to school in record time. She looked up from where she'd been putting her keys into her bag to see the McAshton boys. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Don't you mean wimpy?" the other asked. She stopped as they got in her way.

"Get out of my way you idiots." She said angrily. She walked right past their stunned faces, only to be grabbed from behind. She screeched, but one covered up her mouth. They dragged her around the side of the building where they'd be out of sight. She struggled, but it was no use. The McAshton boys may be stupid bullies, but they were strong as well. Not a good combination. "Let me go!" she yelled at them through her captor's hand.

"Oh do shut up, little lady." Flint said in a jovial voice. "We're not going to hurt you, just…give you a proper welcome."

"What are you talking about?" she asked angrily, still struggling. "I've been here for weeks."

"Maybe, but we like to get to know a girl before taking our relationship to the next level." She realized what they might be talking about and panicked. Her fear gave her strength, and she was able to wrench herself free. She ran to the front of the school again where there were other people, but they only grabbed her again. She threw a punch, landing one straight on Nigel's nose. Forgetting who it was they were fighting with, he hit her right back. She fell, landing awkwardly against stone wall surrounding the school's main entrance, causing the back of her arm got scrapped up, the elbow especially. It hurt something awful but she was too riled up to notice. She hopped back on her feet and started fighting back.

A moment later she was surrounded by other students and a few teachers who pulled them away from each other. As they all calmed down she took stock of the damage. Her arm was bleeding sluggishly, as well as her nose. Flint sported a black eye and a limp; she'd nailed him with her knee in the groin. Nigel's nose was also bleeding, though worse than her own. He was sobbing as if it was broken. It wasn't, Toni would have felt the bones crack if she'd broken it. She'd broken noses before.

It was decided by the staff that they should all be sent home for the day, something Toni wasn't in the mood to complain about. She wiped blood from her lip with the back of her hand and stormed over to her car, driving away just as quickly as she had in order to get there in the first place. But as she calmed down she cursed herself. She could have just run and told someone, but no, she had to get herself suspended for the day. She'd miss all her classes and have make up work to do now. Not to mention what her parents would say when they found out she'd been fighting, and who she'd been fighting with.

She was right. Dottie took her up to her room, helping her clean the scrape on her arm and wrap it with a clean bandage. Toni's shirt needed to be washed right away too, her nose had dripped blood on it in more than one place. She changed into a tan tank top instead, her nose stuffed with a tissue so it wouldn't drip anymore.

"Fighting with the McAshton boys…" her mom said, coming back upstairs after tossing her shirt in the wash. "Of all people!"

"They started it." Toni said defensively, sitting down in the window sill and letting the sun warm her back. She knew it sounded like a lame excuse, but there was no way she'd tell her mom what had actually happened. She pulled the tissue from her nose – it had finally stopped bleeding – and tossed it into the trash.

"Well last night at the party your teacher told me you haven't shut up about monsters. No wonder everyone keeps teasing you."

"Not monsters, vampires." Toni clarified.

"It's all the same."

"No its not." Toni insisted.

"It's gonna be rough making friends like that."

"Mom, I'm not a little kid, I can handle my own social life." Toni said exasperatedly. "Besides, I have a friend."

"You do?" Dottie asked, sounding much happier than Toni would have normally expected. But she'd gone weeks here without being on friendly terms with anyone. Back in California she'd had a large group of friends; her parents probably thought she was rebelling against their move here or something dumb like that. "What's her name?"

"_His_ name is Rudy." Toni said, knowing Rudolf would sound a bit odd.

"Well where does he live?"

"Not too far from here actually." She said, thinking ironically of how he was currently asleep in her trunk.

"Well what's he like?" Dottie asked. Toni noticed the lid of the trunk lift slightly. In the indirect sunlight, she saw that Rudolf's eyes turned an angry red. Knowing he was listening to the conversation made things slightly awkward.

"He's uh…he's pretty cool." Toni evaded, looking back at her mom who sat on the bed.

"Is he handsome?" Toni blushed, partly from the question and partly because the boy in question was watching her expectantly.

"He's…on the handsome end of the spectrum, yeah." She admitted, looking down at her lap. Dottie smiled teasingly, grabbing the spare bandages from the bathroom. On her way out she stopped, sniffing.

"There it is again."

"What?" Toni asked.

"That smell." Toni sniffed as well. Immediately she noticed the musty smell of the vampire boy in her trunk.

"I don't smell anything." She said, trying to throw her mom off the scent, pun unintended. She saw the lid of the trunk go down again as Rudolf lowered it and sighed in slight relief.

"Hmm…oh well. Oh, your father has the afternoon off, he wants to take you golfing." Dottie said as she left the room. Toni stayed in the window sill until her mom was downstairs again.

"So, I'm handsome, huh?" came Rudolf's voice from the trunk. Toni blushed again and kicked the side of the trunk.

"Oh shut up and go back to sleep." She said. She grabbed the golf bag and made her way downstairs to find her dad.

"Oh good, you're ready." Bob said when he saw her. He looked at her outfit. "You may want to change, the temperature is dropping again."

"Ugh, what is it with this place? Why can't the weather stay consistent for a whole day for once?" Toni complained with a laugh. She dashed upstairs, changed into jeans and her runners. She tied her hair in a ponytail once again and grabbed a jean jacket. "Ok, _now_ I'm ready." She said as she hopped down the stairs.

"Dinner's at six!" Dottie called as they went out the door. Toni and Bob climbed into the Land Rover and made their way towards the nearest golf course.

"We're not going to play all eighteen holes, are we?" Toni asked him and he laughed.

"I don't know if we'll even get through one since you don't know what you're doing."

"Hey!" Toni protested, knowing full well he was teasing. "I'm sure I could at least get through two holes in the next…five hours." The afternoon continued in that manner, with lots of teasing mixed in with the instruction. It was a lot more fun than Toni would have thought, but that might only have been because it was her dad who she was playing with, and that she got to drive the golf cart. They were on their fifth hole and in the putting green when Toni noticed it was going to be dark rather soon.

"Nice easy stroke." Bob suggested. "Give it a try." Toni lined up the shot and putted the ball to the best of her ability…and missed by three feet.

"Alright pretty good." Bob said encouragingly. She gave him a playful glare.

"Dad that sucked. At least be honest with how bad I am." She said. Bob chuckled and lined up the next stroke. "I'd like to be home before it gets dark though, so…if you could hurry it up, oh master of the golf course." She said with a mocking bow. He chuckled and took the shot, the ball stopping two inches from the hole. "Ha! I win!" Toni exclaimed, knocking the ball into the hole.

"Bored already?" Bob asked, referring to her desire to go home.

"No, I just have a lot of homework tonight." she watched his face fall the smallest bit, having been reminded of the fight earlier. "Look, I know what you've been thinking about me-" she started, but Bob interrupted.

"No, Toni, I'm sorry I've been so rough on you lately." He said. "But I've got my job on one hand, and this teacher on the other-"

"I know. Mom told me…" Toni said with a wince.

"Yeah."

"Dad, do you think I'm crazy?" Toni asked.

"Oh, no Toni. Well, yes but we've both known that for a while." He teased. "I just think that vampires belong in a movie somewhere, not in your room."

"A vampire in my room?" Toni asked with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Yeah right." He gave her an odd look and she tried to act as if her nervousness had been a joke. "Oh come on, I'm kidding." She said with a grin. "Let's finish another hole before we go home."

"That's the spirit!" Bob said with a smile, heading back towards the golf cart. The next hole went slightly faster. As they were taking turns hitting it didn't take as long as if they'd been competing. Toni didn't know what the par was, but she had no doubt they went way over it. Bob might enjoy golf, but he wasn't as good as he liked to say he was; something Toni teased him about the whole way home.

The moment they got reached the castle, she dashed upstairs, saying some excuse about needing to check her e-mail. In actuality, she went straight to the chest and threw open the lid.

It was empty. Toni stared at the pillow which was still there, then slowly stood and closed the lid. She looked towards the window, seeing that it had been opened. She sat down on the trunk as she watched the curtains blow about in the breeze. The sun had gone down enough for Rudolf to come out of hiding almost half an hour ago, but she'd hoped he hadn't left yet.

"Thanks for saying goodbye." She said sarcastically to the absent boy.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_You lot have some awesome nicknames! I think my favorite is still Tree, it makes me giggle :D_

_I had the strangest dream last night...even included a really smart, really good looking guy, lucky me! *really needs a boyfriend* And in one part, I was going to be gone all day for some reason and I felt bad because I wouldn't be able to post the chapter for this story, lol. What about you guys? Have any recent crazy weird dreams that are relevant in the strangest ways? Tell me in a review! And while you're at it, tell me what you thought of the chapter :D  
_

_Your daydreaming Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Toni checked her e-mails, getting the assignments she'd missed that day. She was determined not to think about Rudolf if she could help it. She went back down for a nice supper of good old macaroni and cheese, and then went back to her room to work on her school work for a few hours. Only once she had finished every last math problem did she change into her pajamas and crawl into bed. She finally got out her journal to record the events from the night before and how she'd always wonder if she'd imagined it all.

But her heart wasn't in the writing. She knew she was just stalling, hoping Rudolf would come back before she went to sleep. Finally she gave up, tucking the journal between the mattresses again, and slid farther under her covers. She shut her eyes, but didn't fall asleep for a long time. She must have dozed off at some point though, because the next thing she knew a weight on her bed was pulling her from her dreams.

"Psst. Hey. Toni, wake up." The weight whispered. Toni wrenched her eyes open to see a familiar figure sitting on her bed.

"Rudolf!" she exclaimed in a whisper. He gave her a grin and she returned it happily. She pulled herself into a sitting position, already wide awake. "Come to take me flying again?"

"No, it's too dangerous." Toni half scowled in disappointment but knew he was right. Rookery would be searching for him again tonight she knew. "Unfortunately I came mainly because of this." He handed her the drawing she'd done of the amulet from her dream.

"My drawing? You can have it if you want." She said, trying to figure out what he really wanted.

"Where have you seen it?"

"Why, is it important?"

"Very important." He said and she grinned.

"Important enough to take me flying again in exchange for the information you want?" Rudolf stared for a moment, shook his head in disbelief, then gave her a look which told her he was amused. "Oh come on, it can't be that dangerous. You made it here didn't you?"

"I suppose I did." He consented with a crooked smile. She beamed.

"Excellent, let me get dressed." She said and hopped out of bed. She was wearing the sleeveless white night gown again, and she knew it wouldn't be warm enough for flying. She grabbed her jeans and a t-shirt and changed in the bathroom. She then slipped on her runners and pulled her hair back into a ponytail after a quick brush through.

"Why do you do that?" Rudolf asked.

"Do what, brush my hair?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Pull it back all the time." She shrugged.

"It's what I'm used to I guess. Back in California it was cooler to keep my hair up. And I played soccer all the time so it stayed out of the way."

"Well you should leave it down more often. It's pretty." He was at the window watching for signs of Rookery and didn't notice her blush.

"Right…well, I'm ready, in any case." She said, coming to the window as well.

"Great!" Despite his warning of the danger, Rudolf seemed perfectly happy to take to the air once again. He took her hand and pulled her out onto the balcony, where he lifted her into the air as he had the night before. It was odd, how a boy grabbing her hand already felt like the most natural thing in the world. After they were a bit away from Toni's home Rudolf asked his question about the amulet again.

"Well, it was all in my dream. I saw a comet, and a whole group of vampires on a cliff. The man in charge help up the amulet and it started spinning. Then there was this beam of red light that shot from the moon to the red jewel in the amulet."

"Then what?"

"Well, someone came. I'm guessing it was a vampire hunter, he had crosses and fire and the whole vampire hunter tool kit." Seemingly lost in thought, Rudolf sped up, pulling Toni across the sky. They hadn't had a particular destination until now, they'd been going in circles until Rudolf steered their path in a straight course over the hills. Leaving him to his thoughts, Toni focused on enjoying the flight. Once again though, her excitement seemed contagious. Rudolf stopped thinking so hard and started focusing on the thrills of the flight. Steep drops towards the earth and following the curvature of the hills. She was laughing with delight when he slowed them down again, pointing down.

"We live down there." Toni looked to see ruins of an old castle, mist covering the ground and headstones and mausoleums everywhere.

"In the cemetery? That is _so_ cool." She said with a grin. Rudolf shook his head.

"Toni, you are the oddest girl I've ever met." She beamed.

"Why thank you." She said with a prim voice, as if it was the highest compliment anyone could ever give her. He laughed, slowing them down farther as they neared the ground. He lowered her to the ground first, landing softly beside her. "I could get used to that." She said breathlessly.

"So you didn't see the real thing then?" Rudolf asked, and she could tell he was thinking about the amulet once more.

"I'm afraid not, I dreamt it all." She said. Rudolf took a seat on a nearby lump of rock and she did the same, sitting beside him. She couldn't tell if it was a random rock, or a gravestone which was so worn with age that it once again resembled a natural rock. "The amulet, the comet…does it mean something?" she asked. She'd been hoping to get to the heart of the matter for a while now, wondering what her dreams meant.

"I really shouldn't say, it's a secret." He said hesitantly. She gave him a slightly sad and slightly ironic smile.

"Who am I going to tell? Not to mention who would ever believe me?" he turned towards her, a determined look in his eyes.

"All right. It is the Comet Attamon." He told her looking up. She followed his eyes to the sky and saw the comet already flying slowly through the night sky. "It's the comet of lost souls. It could mean the end of this curse."

"Curse? What curse?" Toni asked, looking back down at him.

"The curse of being a vampire." He explained, looking into her eyes. "A piece of the comet fell to earth. A great magician made it into an amulet of power. And we lost it, three hundred years ago to the sea."

"Yes! Yes, that's what I saw!" Toni exclaimed.

"A man called Von tried to catch it. And we've never seen him since." Memory clouded Toni's eyes for a moment, remembering the blond vampire who'd dived towards her from the top of the cliff. "From that night to this, our wandering has never ended." Toni looked down at her lap, noticing Rudolf's hand near her own. She laid her fingers on the back of his and looked back into his eyes.

"I can help you find it." She said. "That must be what my dream really means." He looked uncertain for a moment, but she didn't let him argue. "I can help you with this." She insisted. "Unless you have someone else who can get around during the day in order to search." A crooked grin appeared on his face and he placed his other hand on top of hers.

"So you are to join us in our quest. You are truly a friend of the vampires." He said and she smiled. Oh how she loved that accent.

Without warning, Rudolf looked up into the air sharply. Toni followed his eyes upwards to see…bats. She heard their screeching a moment later, something Rudolf had heard long before she had. "Hide, my parents are coming!" he exclaimed, shooting to his feet. She stood as well, still clutching his hand nervously.

"What happened to being a friend to the vampires?" she asked, her voice had a slight quaver in it which she couldn't manage to hide. Humans she could stand up to, vampires were a different story.

"They don't know that, go!" he pushed her away, and she dashed to hide behind a huge broken pillar at the edge of the area. She ducked down low, but peered around the side in order to see what was going on. She watched as the two larger bats fluttered towards the ground, with a flash turning into adults. It was the two from her dream, the man who'd held the amulet and his wife.

"Mama! Papa!" Rudolf exclaimed as they landed.

"Rudolf! Thank the stars you're safe." The woman said in a soft, even voice, coming to pull her son into a hug.

"My son, you mustn't stray so far away." The man said sternly.

"We were afraid-"

"I was only taking the road less traveled." Rudolf interrupted his mother.

"You got lost, oh my poor Rudolf." The woman said, pinching his cheek. Toni smirked at how she babied him.

"Yoo-hoo!" a new voice said. It was a younger girl.

"Anna!" Rudolf exclaimed. He strode to the gravestone his younger sister sat on and picked her up, swinging her about in circles. Her hair was blond and long enough that it reached her knees. Toni wondered for a moment if their hair grew after becoming vampires…

"Brother, darling." She said as he sat her down. Her sophisticated voice reminded Toni that she'd been around almost three hundred years longer than Toni had been alive. "You're the nervy one, sneaking off like some day walker."

"I wish." Rudolf said in a teasing voice. "So Father, did you find the stone?"

"No, but I am sure we're on the right path." The man said.

"Because-"

"We still have four days."

"But you see that's-"

"I will not fail you!" the man said forcibly.

"Gregory!" the woman said, looking directly towards Toni's hiding place. Toni pulled back out of sight, but then she heard a hiss behind her. She slowly turned to see the punk vampire from her dream. He looked to be a year or two older than Rudolf, and right now very hungry. She squeaked and ran from her hiding place, making sure to get behind Rudolf. The punk vampire continued hissing at her the whole way.

"No! Gregory, she's my friend!" Rudolf said, pushing the other boy back.

"A mortal!" Rudolf's father said, striding forward now as well. Toni gasped and stepped back again, her back sitting a stone pillar.

"I….I'm with Rudolf." She tried to explain. She scooted closer to Rudolf as she spoke, and he wrapped a protective arm about her shoulders. "And he gave me a bite-proof guarantee." She said, feeling braver with his support. The man put two fingers under her chin and lifted. Toni felt the ground disappear from under her feet as she was lifted into the air as if by magic.

"You could be anything to my son. Victimizer, slave, dinner perhaps. But you can never be his friend."

"She doesn't mind vampires." Rudolf's voice said at her side. She realized she was now at equal height with him. "And she dreams about us."

"Am I in your dreams mortal?" Gregory asked, with a snide grin on his face. Even in the position she was stuck in, Toni glared at him.

"And she knows about the amulet." Rudolf finished as if his brother hadn't said anything.

"Ah…then she's a spy. Rookery's knave." He slowly lowered her to the ground once more.

"I…don't know what a knave is, but I'm not on Rookery's team if that's what you're implying." Toni said.

"Darling, she doesn't look like a spy." The woman said, coming forward. "And besides, ever Rudolf couldn't make up such a story. Could you sweetheart." Toni looked at Rudolf just in time to see him smile an innocent smile and shake his head angelically. She bit her lip and tried to keep from snorting. This story might be keeping her alive, she didn't want to mess it up. "Mortal or not, she's just a girl." The woman went on, kissing her husband's hand. "And if you insist on eating her, go ahead-"

"I never said I would." The man said, looking uncomfortable. "It's impossible." He turned to look down at Toni. "Leave I say."

"But…Rudolf…" Toni muttered, turning to her friend.

"Should never have befriended you. Leave I say!" He ended in a shout. She bit her lip and looked at Rudolf once more. She looked back in time to see the man lunge towards her with a hiss and she jumped back a few feet.

"Alright!" she shouted. "I'm going I'm going." Toni exclaimed, turning and hurrying away from the one good thing that had happened to her here.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_The winner for the random dream competition is dancing pandas! It just makes me giggle :D_

_I admit, this chapter bugs me...I dunno what it is, but it does -.-_

_Your grumbling Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Toni ran from the vampire family, wishing she could stand up to Rudolf's dad the way she had to the McAshton boys. She didn't want to just leave! She was dashing away towards where she hoped the entrance to the graveyard was even as she scolded herself for being a coward. It wouldn't be fun to get lost in here without Rudolf's hand to guide her. She stopped to look back towards the clearing, looking at her friend one last time. But the sound of machinery made her turn. There sat Rookery's truck, which seemed to be revving up, although Rookery was nowhere to be seen.

"It's Rookery, get back!" she heard Rudolf's father exclaim. Green eyes searched the gloom, finally spotting the vampire hunter's silhouette in a nearby gateway. Rudolf's father hurried his family away and out of sight, while Rookery shot wooden stakes from an odd gun like thing. As the vampire shouted at the hunter to leave his family alone, Toni noticed that the gun had a cord. It was a tube, the gun must be air powered! If so, there must be a way to unplug it. She followed the cord with her eyes, coming to rest on where the gun plugged into a cord from the truck. She grinned, running to the plug and pulling them apart. It was just in time, as Rookery shot at the vampire only to have his stake fall only two feet from himself.

Toni laughed merrily at Rookery's confused face, standing while still holding the two plugs. The vampire man hissed dangerously, but Rookery only pulled a cross made from solar bulbs from nowhere. Toni had to wonder where he'd been keeping it, even as he turned as saw her holding the plugs.

"Pneumatics don't work too well when there's no air pressure." She said jovially, holding up the two ends of the air tube with a smile and a laugh, mocking his failure.

"You!" he exclaimed, recognizing her from the night before. The hunter turned to see that the vampire man had gone, and turned his cross on her instead. He actually thought she was a vampire! He thrust the cross towards her and she just raised an eyebrow at him. "What kind of bloodsucker are you?" he asked. She grinned at him again.

"The sweet and innocent kind." She said, blinking her eyes angelically. He tossed his failing cross aside though and came forward, and Toni turned and ran up the side of the hill. She'd be no match against him for strength, even if he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. She just needed to get over this hill… Without warning, the ground disappeared and she was falling, causing her to cry out in surprise more than fear. She was caught in strong arms and opened her eyes to see Rudolf's smiling face.

"Nice of you to drop in. Are you alright?" he asked in worry, setting her on her feet. She nodded even as she looked up through the hole where she'd fallen. Rookery was looking right back down at her, and drawing a gun of some sort. "Look out!" Rudolf said unnecessarily, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. "Come on!" he pulled her into one of the back corners and away from the hole. The shot Rookery fired turned into sparks, almost like a flare gun or a firework. The Vampires all hid from the brightness, but Toni was too busy looking about the underground cavern she was in. When it looked like Rookery had gone, Rudolf's father strode over.

"What you did was very foolish!" he scolded her.

"Foolish, but brave." His wife said. Toni gave her a grateful smile and back at the man's disapproving face. She then noticed the odd pendant he wore. She'd noticed it before, from her dream. She reached out and lifted it to inspect it more closely, all her fears about angering him dissipating with her curiosity. He grabbed it as well, to take it back, but it was too late. Toni's vision went black.

It was like she was an invisible person in a dream, watching events unfold without having any direct connection with what was happening. And it had the same surreal feeling that her other vampire dream did. Toni watched as a pretty girl on horseback rode near, to the mouth of the cave Toni stood in. She turned to look about and jumped when she saw Rudolf's father standing beside her.

"Gah! What are you doing in my vision?" she asked in surprise. He put a finger to his lips, not taking his eyes off the scene. Realizing this must be rather important, Toni paid attention. The pretty girl wore simple clothing and a red cape, but Toni could tell that it was fine quality material. Behind her the sun was setting on the ocean outside of the cave. Toni followed the girl's progress, noting her look of concern. She looked where the girl was looking and saw a very pale man with blond hair.

"Wait…isn't that Von?" she asked Rudolf's father. He nodded in surprise.

"Yes it is." He said in wonder. They watched the girl take off her cape and place it over Von's body, he was still damp as if he'd been swimming. This must be what happened to him after jumping into the ocean the night of Toni's dream. Her eyes widened as she saw what the girl had just seen. Von held a circle of gold and ruby in his hand.

"The amulet." She breathed, almost as if she feared she'd disturb the memory. She jumped when Von suddenly opened his eyes, grabbing the girl's hand as she inspected the pretty thing. He hissed at her and Toni's vision went black again.

Rudolf was about to defend Toni from his father's wrath when they both froze, still as statues of ice. His eyes narrowed further still as he saw their eyes. They were distant, as if they were looking in a far off place. Toni's eyes faded until they were cloudy like those of a blind person and he gasped at the sight. She started trembling soon after, his father shaking as well. While his mother went to hold onto him, Rudolf placed a protective arm around Toni's shoulders. He didn't know what was happening but it didn't look comfortable.

Suddenly Toni gasped, her eyes widening for a moment as they went back to their usual green. Her knees trembled and gave way, letting her drop like a stone. Rudolf caught her before she hit the ground, and he lowered her gently the rest of the way down. She was breathing heavily and still shaking.

"What happened?" he asked her. He looked to see his father standing and appearing perfectly fine, the look of wonder in his eyes the only indication that he'd seen something.

"We shared a vision." He said simply.

"She has a sympathy for our kind." His mother said, sounding surprised and impressed.

"Oh lovely." Anna said, her grown up manner seeming odd in her young body.

"Young Von found the stone." His father said, pacing the floor now. "Then he made his way to Scotland, plucked from the sea by a merchant ship just as rumor had it."

"Then he could still be roaming free." His mother said.

"There was a woman I've never seen before. I don't know who she was."

"She was human." Rudolf heard Toni say. Her shaking had lessoned and she was listening intently to the conversation. The vision made more sense now that she knew the rumors the vampires had heard.

"How do you know?" Rudolf's father asked curiously, apparently he hadn't been able to tell himself.

"Her smell." She said simply.

"Smell? But our sense of smell is greater than yours, no offense." Rudolf said with a grin.

"None taken. But you don't seem to know the smell of yourselves. Vampires, from what I've noticed from all of you, have an odd musty smell about them. Like…damp soil. The girl didn't have that, she smelled clean and flowery."

"And she had a strange coat of arms" the man said. "I don't want to forget it."

"Here." Toni said, pulling a pad of paper from her back pocket and sketching the crest out quickly. She handed him the paper.

"We must find out who she is." Rudolf's father stated. "Trace her crest."

"I can help." Toni offered, standing with the help of Rudolf's hand.

"No…it's too risky to involve a mortal."

"I'm involved whether you like it or not." Toni informed him. "Rudolf is my friend, I'm not about to sit back and wait for things to happen, not when I can be of use!" he turned to argue, but she didn't let him start. "Rookery already thinks I'm a vampire myself, though I don't know why as I'm immune to both the cross and sunlight. Unlike all of you, I can get around during the day, which _will_ help."

"What have we got to lose?" Rudolf said. "We've been searching for three centuries-"

"This is what comes from contact with mortals. Disrespect! Insolence!" Toni gritted her teeth.

"No, that's what happens when you find how much things have changed while you've been hiding away for three hundred years." She muttered softly, only allowing Rudolf to hear.

"Fredrick, they do have a point." His mother said softly, and Toni grinned. She was brilliant in her subtle way of changing her husband's mind with only a few words.

"All right." The man agreed only moments after and Toni grinned triumphantly. He turned to her and came forwards. "Help if you can. But do not think to change your mind and betray us to our most hateful enemy, or my wrath will be revealed. Am I clear?" he was standing right in front of her. During his little speech, he'd come very close, expecting her to retreat in fear. Toni knew about scare tactics though and stood her ground. Now she crossed her arms and nodded solemnly. Upset that he'd failed in his attempt to frighten her he hissed, but she just raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. He sniffed and spun dramatically, his cape flowing about. Rudolf took her elbow and led her through the complex cave system, eventually reaching the entrance and they climbed out.

"I think he likes you." Rudolf told her.

"Your dad? Wait, you mean _that_ was _liking_ me?" she asked in disbelief.

"I know he can seem like a real monster because he's so stern with us."

"Not seem, is." She said, not caring how harsh she sounded. The man was used to getting his way and no longer listened to the opinions of even his own family.

"But you don't understand what it's like for us vampires to be so tormented." Rudolf said, trying to explain. Toni snorted.

"Sure I do, happens to me every day at school." She crossed her arms and trudged along angrily.

"Who dares torment you?" he asked in disbelief.

"There's a couple of guys in my grade, the McAshton brothers. They're complete perverts and seem convinced that I came here just for their entertainment." She said bluntly. She noticed Rudolf's eyes narrow dangerously, glinting in the dark.

"That's who you got in the fight with today."

"Yeah, I didn't tell my mom the whole story." She admitted.

"I see…the McAshton house is where you parents went to that party last night, right?" he asked suddenly.

"Yeah…why?"

"Nothing. I'll be by after the sun sets tomorrow to get you, I have an idea." He said vaguely. She raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Um…ok." She said simply. She wasn't about to complain that she'd get to spend another night with the vampire.

"Shall we go then?" he asked, holding out a hand. She smiled softly and took it, allowing him to fly her home.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Pneumatics...I can use big words, see i'm smart! Actually, I was on the robotics team in high school, and we used Pneumatics. Did I just out-nerd myself? I do believe I did :D What about you guys, do you have any awesomely nerdy habits to share?_

_I'm much much happier with this chapter, it's incredible how a few subtle changes in wording and vocabulary can bring a chapter to life. Let me know what you think!_

_Your Sleepy Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day couldn't go by fast enough. The McAshton jerks stole her backpack during lunch, and she had to spend her free half hour searching for it rather than going to the library like she'd hoped. So much for getting a head start on those crests... She finally found her backpack by the pond in the large empty space by the side of the school, the contents scattered about and a few of her books floating in the pond. She sighed angrily and left the books in a sunny spot in the greenhouse to dry, hoping she'd still be able to salvage them.

When the final bell rang. Toni practically ran from the classroom and to the greenhouse, grabbing the still damp books and dashing back to her car. She drove straight to the public library to search for books on crests of Scotland. She had a sketch of her own, but wasn't willing to ask anyone for help. The librarians in the small town would wonder why she was researching crests, and start the gossip train. Toni already had the other kids and the teachers talking about her, she didn't need the whole town to be doing so. Finally about an hour before sunset she found a book on the history of crests in the area and checked it out. Now she just had to hope that it was the crest of a local family.

The hour left over she spent heading home and working on homework. Dinner was make-your-own that night in any case, so she ate in her room with the excuse of being busy. Finally she told her parents that she was really tired and that she was going to bed for the night, and not to bother her because she thought she might be coming down with something and wanted plenty of rest. It was a bit of a stretch but they bought it. Parents could be so oblivious sometimes. Finally she changed into warmer clothing for the evening, and spent the rest of her time waiting by drawing pictures of the amulet, crest and Rudolf. He was still her favorite subject to draw, though she didn't plan on telling him that. A knock at the balcony door made her hop up and open it.

"Sorry, should have unlocked it before." She said as Rudolf came inside.

"That's fine." He said. "I don't suppose you have some clothing that would make you look frightening?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I might have some stuff." She said warily. "Why?"

"I have a plan to scare the McAshton boys." He said simply, and she grinned at the prospect.

"Excellent, hold on just a sec." she said. She went to her closet and pulled out the costume she'd worn for a Halloween party the year before. She changed in the bathroom and came back out only a few minutes later. "Will this work?" she asked him. She wore a black skirt with black and white stripped tights, heeled mary-janes on her feet. Her shirt was a white blouse that had shredded sleeves and a black leather corset cinched it close about her torso. Then she'd spun her blond hair into a sloppy bun, pulling pieces to hang down about her face in that perfectly tousled fashion. Rudolf's eyes were wide, but then he grinned.

"That's perfect. Not at all you, but perfect." They went out on the balcony as Toni looked at him oddly.

"How do you know it's not me? I may have dressed like this all the time back in America for all you know." She pointed out and he laughed as he pulled her into the sky.

"I doubt that." He said, looking sideways at her. "Spending two nights with you has shown me the kind of person you are. You'd be surprised how well I have you figured out."

"Oh really? What's my favorite color then?"

"I'd guess green, as that's the color of more than half of the clothes in your wardrobe."

She laughed. "Alright, too easy. When is my birthday?"

"What does that have to do with your personality?"

"Good point. Um…"

"Why don't you let me explain to you rather than having you ask the questions." He suggested and she giggled again.

"That's probably a good idea."

"Alright. I know that you are an extremely brave girl, because you stood up to my father and you fought those boys rather than running away. I also know that you're vulnerable but you like to hide it. You write in your journal every night, and you make sure to hide it once you're finished. Don't worry I didn't read it. You're an optimistic person. You believe you can find the amulet before Saturday night, and you're making the best of moving halfway across the world. I know that you are an amazing artist, yet you don't show it off, so you're self conscious about how others see you. Yet you're also confident because you played soccer back in your old home. I've seen soccer, and it's a sport that takes guts."

"You're picking up the modern lingo rather quickly." She teased, trying to ignore just how dead on he was about the kind of person she was. Though he knew she was changing the subject, he let her do so.

"I've been listening to you." He said with a laugh. "Like when you're talking with your parents."

"Well if all goes well, you'll be able to take part in actual conversations, since you'll turn mortal after the ceremony." At that Rudolf closed up the tiniest bit, and she wondered what it was she'd said. She didn't push it though, she didn't want to ruin the night with questions Rudolf wouldn't want to answer. Thankfully the awkward silence didn't last long, as they came upon the McAshton house soon after.

"Alright, we need to find their bedroom." Rudolf said softly in Toni's ear. The two of them flew from one window to another, finally finding what they were looking for. Flint and Nigel McAshton shared a room on the south wall of their fortress-like home. The beds sat against the wall opposite the window, but the room in general was large and very grandly decorated. It looked like a room for a king, not two bullies. "Perfect." Rudolf said with a smile. He turned to her, still floating just outside, and whispered his plan into her ear. Toni bit her lip to keep from giggling aloud.

"Oh this is going to be _fun_!" she whispered back. A moment later, they were in their places at the foot of the beds. Almost as if on cue, lighting flashed outside and the window started to bang open and closed. Flint woke up and sat up, groaning.

"What the…?" The shudders banged and Rudolf ran about the room, too fast to see anything more than the occasional glimpse in the moonlight. "Nigel! Nigel, wake up!" This alone almost set Toni into giggles again. He was scared! As she heard Nigel slowly wake up as well, she nodded to Rudy. She stood, coming into the moonlight from the foot of the bed. Except she didn't stop when she was standing. Rudy took hold her ankles and with inhuman strength he made her continue to rise, almost as if she'd floated up from the floor. Dramatically she raised her arms, the black ribbons tied around them fluttering in the breeze from the window. Gently, Rudolf set her on the foot board of the bed and she kept her balance easily on the thick oak piece.

"I am she who rules the underworld!" Toni exclaimed in a dark voice, though she could barely contain her laughter. "I am your mistress and you _will_ obey me." Apparently her voice wasn't dark enough, because the fear melted from the faces of the boys.

"It's Toni Thompson!" Nigel exclaimed in surprise. She didn't know if it was because of how she was dressed or the fact that she was in their bedroom. Flint smiled and spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I see you've decided to come for a visit after all. Normally I would ask that you call in advance, I haven't any wine." He looked her up and down, his eyes glinting in a way that made her nervous.

"Let's get her." Nigel said, his own voice darker than Toni's ever could be. Before she could leap off the foot of the bed, Rudolf flipped up from his hiding place to land on the footboard beside her. Seductively he wrapped an arm around her waist, which disguised her almost falling from his surprise entrance. Unlike her own appearance, Rudolf was very obviously not human. His pointed teeth and musty smell marked him as a vampire, and the boys knew it.

"I don't think so." Rudolf said dangerously. The boys both opened their mouths and screamed. Yes, screamed, like a couple of little girls. Toni hadn't known it was possible for boys to do such a thing once their voices had changed. She barely contained her amusement, only letting go of an evil smile. Rudolf put a finger to his lips and they both clapped their mouths shut in fear.

"I am the fiendish friend of Toni Thompson." Rudolf said, his voice soft enough to make them listen even harder. "And if you do not treat her with respect, you _will_ feel my wrath." He didn't even have to raise his voice, but Flint and Nigel both nodded, so quickly they looked like bobble heads. "If you tell anyone what you have just witnessed, then you will simply _have_ to join me for dinner. And I haven't had human blood in so long." Rudolf looked the boys over like a piece of meat the butcher and licked his lips. Finally he jumped at them and hissed, causing them to start screaming again.

Several things happened simultaneously. Toni lost her control and burst out laughing. Rudolf grabbed her and flew them out the window. And Lord McAshton, the boys' grandfather, came into the room and flipped on the light. To those inside, it looked as if Flint and Nigel were hugging each other and screaming in fear at absolutely nothing.

"What on Earth is going on in here?" The older man asked, a hand on his heart. The boys looked at the window and saw nothing, but they looked at each other and knew they hadn't just imagined the event.

"Nothing!" they both exclaimed quickly. Flint hopped back over to his bed. Toni and Rudolf were floating just under the window and peeking inside, and Flint's hopping almost set Toni into giggles all over again. Rudolf shushed her, though he looked very amused himself. Finally, in an effort not to get caught, he pulled her away though Toni noticed that their shadows caused the boys to both dive under their covers. As she and Rudolf flew off into the distance, her laughter finally broke loose and echoed across the green pastures.

"Oh that was wonderful!" she exclaimed as her giggles finally ended. Rudolf just laughed at her.

"You don't make a very convincing evil mistress."

"Oh hush! You're already a vampire, you hardly had to do any acting at all!"

"That's not true! I'm simply more talented than you are."

"Oh really?" Toni asked, speaking in her British accent once again. "If you think you're oh so talented, then you'll have to prove it."

"And how do you suggest I do that?"

"Come with me to the McAshton party this Friday." Toni spat out.

"What? You hate the McAshton's and yet you're going to their party?"

"I don't exactly have a choice. My dad works for their grandfather, I _have_ to go. Even if it's only for a short time." Rudolf stewed this over.

"What kind of party is it?"

"It's a Halloween party. I have to go in costume, but no one will know that you aren't already in costume if you go in your normal clothes."

"Actually…I may be able to find something to wear I think… What are you going as?" Toni blushed a bit.

"A vampire. The dress I was wearing when you first landed in my room is my costume."

"Oh! That explains a lot actually." He said in a teasing voice. Before Toni could ask him what he meant, she spotted something.

"Rudy! It's Rookery's truck, we have to get out of here!" she pointed at the truck speeding right towards them, its lights swinging around wildly in their general direction. Rudolf turned tail and started searching for a way to get away. But they were to slow, they needed to hide. "We need to get away from the roads!" Toni exclaimed.

"I'm not fast enough in my human form."

"Then change!"

"I can't fly you anywhere as a bat though!"

"Then drop me in a haystack somewhere! He's not hunting me, you need to get away!" Toni could tell he was thinking about it, but there was no time for it. A short bit ahead of them was a barn. The roof was rotting away, revealing a room full of hey. Perfect. Just as they went over it, she pulled her hand out of Rudolf's grip and plummeted.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Apparently I have some wonderfully nerdy readers! My favorite of the nerdy things was actually someone who can identify a scene in a movie just based on the music, though that's totally awesome at the same time :D_

_Sorry i'm a bit later than usual today, school started and my mom is still out of town, so i've been doing laundry and dishes since I got home, lol. And I really need to vacuum...it's my least favorite chore. What about you lot, which chore can you just not stand to do?_

_And while you're at it, let me know what you thought of the chapter! As some of you have likely noticed, i'm seriously deviating from the movie here, so I'd love opinions!_

_Your Busy Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Toni's stomach flew into her throat in fear as she fell towards the barn. She'd forgotten how frightening heights could be when there was no handsome boy keeping you afloat. She dimly heard Rudolf call her name, but then she landed in the hay with thwump.

Now what? She asked herself. Well, first she needed to get out of the hay, it wasn't the most stable of surfaces. She half rolled and half slid her way towards the old barn doors and finally escaped the pile. And to top things off, she landed in mud from the earlier rain. As she cursed quietly, it started to rain yet again.

"Wonderful." She muttered sarcastically. She looked up just in time to duck from a searchlight. It seemed Rookery had given up the chase of Rudolf, she was an easier target. The worst part was, he apparently knew she had fallen here and there was no easy escape route. She was sitting in the only hiding place for miles. Perfect, she was trapped. She half hoped that Rudolf would come back to rescue her, but it was too dangerous. There wasn't really anything Rookery would do to her that would hurt. Light, garlic and crosses wouldn't hurt her. She then realized she'd forgotten one very important thing. Getting staked. Vampire or not, a wooden stake through the heart would kill her dead.

Just then, a large shadow swooped in front of the main searchlight and Rookery tried to lock onto it. It was a bat. Had Rudolf really come back to save her? Even as her heart leapt she called the boy names in her mind. He really was an idiot! She stopped such thinking as she realized that Rookery was heading towards a particularly large ditch and she grinned. Maybe not quite so much of an idiot.

She hopped to her feet, her heeled Mary Jane's squishing down into the mud as she chased after the truck. Rookery was trying too hard to keep the bat in his spotlight and not paying any attention to where he was going. And finally the truck rolled into the ditch with a large crash. Rookery didn't miss a beat though, instead he hopped from his truck with a flashlight and his glowing cross. He leapt and chased after the bat who led him in circles. Toni laughed to herself even as she reached the truck. The driver side door was still open. It was an opportunity just begging to be taken advantage of.

She dove inside and reached up under the steering wheel, yanking out whatever exposed wires she could find. Lights turned off with a snap and the engine died with a groan and outside Rookery shouted in anger. Toni climbed back out of the truck and sprinted away as fast as she could on the unstable ground. Rookery easily kept up; his boots made for running in muddy ground while her own heeled shoes weren't. Just when it seemed he would catch her, Toni heard someone call her name and she reached up to grab the waiting hand.

As Rudolf flew her off into the moonlight, Rookery stamped the ground behind them, shouting in anger. Toni simply turned a bit and waved, laughing merrily. She turned to Rudolf who took one look at her and started to laugh.

"What?"

"You're a mess!" he exclaimed as they landed on a rock fence some distance away. Toni sat down gingerly on the cold stone and looked down at herself. She was covered in mud and straw, and she felt her hair to realize that there was hay there as well. She blushed deeply as Rudy laughed a bit harder.

"Oh shut up." She said, though her heart wasn't in it. Instead, she simply joined in his laughter as he helped her to get the straw out of her hair. She brushed off what mud she could, but didn't bother to try very hard. She'd simply have to do some laundry tomorrow. Finally she looked back at Rudolf and realized just how tired he looked. "Are you alright?" she asked in worry. He turned away, but she put a hand on his chin and made him look back at her. His eyes were sunken, and veins stuck out on his neck. He looked worse than he had the night he'd crashed into her fireplace. "Oh crap, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "Come on, let's get back to that dairy farm."

She hopped down from the wall and he followed her, though she had to catch him from falling after his ungraceful landing. She half carried him down the road, thanking the stars that the dairy barn was only a short way away. She was amazed he'd been able to fly them both away from Rookery as he had.

"You should have left." She told him in a soft but firm voice. "I would have been fine." Rudolf just shook his head.

"I wasn't about to leave you at his mercy."

"Or lack thereof."

"Or lack thereof." He repeated in agreement. As they reached the barn, she helped him to the nearest cow. She turned to leave but he stopped her. "Do you think you could…stay inside? I'd rather you not almost get run over again." He had a teasing smile on his face but Toni could tell he was serious.

"Well, the only one who'd try and run me over is going to be stuck in a ditch trying to fix his truck with wires he no longer has. She pulled the handful of wires she's stolen from her pocket as proof. "But alright." She sat on the floor just on the inside of the door, after carefully making sure it was cow-pie-free. Knowing she was safe made him relax a bit, so she simply did her best to ignore the sucking sounds coming from the other side of the cow.

Once he was finished, Rudolf came out from behind the cow and he patted her flank in appreciation. A glance at the door where Toni was revealed that she'd fallen asleep, muddy clothes and all. He smiled and went to her side, picking her up and flying right out the doors. Only once he reached her balcony did he wake her up.

"You should get some rest." he told her as she found her footing. She looked down at herself and back up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, first you should clean up, but _then_ you should get a good night's sleep. I've kept you up late three nights in a row now, you should catch up a bit." Toni smiled at him and stuck out her tongue.

"Yes mother." She said as she went inside. She stood just inside the balcony door and smiled once more at Rudolf. "Goodnight Rudy." She said softly.

"Sweet dreams Toni." He whispered back. He then walked backwards off the balcony wall and plummeted to the ground. Toni ran to look down, but instead a large bat flew up inches from her face and off towards the moon.

"Sweet dreams." She whispered to him, knowing he'd be able to hear her. She then went inside, closed the door, and took a shower before heading to bed. She fell asleep with a smile on her face dreamt of flying the night away with her hand in his.

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Thursday dawned all too bright and early for Toni. Rudolf was right, she would need to catch up on her sleep sooner or later. But she had school and couldn't afford to miss it two days in a row, so her sleep would have to wait.

School itself was as dull as ever, but the looks on Nigel and Flint McAshton's faces was priceless. One look at her and they froze in terror, making sure to stay as far away from her as possible the entire day. She had to laugh every time she saw them, they were hilarious! She kind of hoped she'd run into them at some point, she'd love to make them do something foolish for no real reason.

Despite the entertainment she was having at their expense, Toni hurried home as soon as school was out. She fell directly into bed and was out like a light, sleeping her afternoon away. When she awoke it was almost supper time and the sun was sinking down towards the distant hills. She took advantage of her time and grabbed the book she'd gotten at the library, flipping through the pages and pages of crests until supper was finished. She'd already looked through the entire thing once, but she may have missed it…after a while all the crests started to look the same.

Finally she took the book down to the kitchen, maybe she'd have better luck if she had food in her stomach. Dotty grinned and poured her a mug of tea.

"Oh, afternoon tea, how very civilized, how very…Scottish." Toni said with a laugh. She set down her sketch of the crest and Dotty picked it up.

"A crest with stags?"

"A lot of Scottish crests have those." Bob said without looking up from his paperwork.

"Lots?" Toni asked, her hopes falling slightly. That would make this more difficult…

"Yeah. It means the family is descended from hunters."

"Oh! That's cool. It kind of stinks, but it's cool."

"So Toni, why are you so interested in crests all of a sudden?" Dotty asked her.

"It's a…new hobby?" Toni said with a fake smile, getting a look from her mother. "Alright alright. I saw that crest somewhere, and I want to find out where it came from."

"Ah, so that's why having stags on the crest stinks, huh?"

"Yeah…it'll make it that much harder to find."

"Lord McAshton has stags on his crest, see?" Bob said, handing her a piece of paper. The letterhead said 'McAshton, Golf Resort and Conference Centre', and right above it was the exact crest she'd been looking for! The crest she'd seen in her vision belonged to the McAshton family!

"Do you uh, mind if I keep this?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"And Dad?"

"Yes Toni?"

"Could I come to work with you on Saturday?" Now he looked up in surprise.

"I don't see why not…yeah! Why?"

"To check out your project. I figure I should see it sometime, and why not sooner rather than later? Will Lord McAshton be there?"

"He lives there." Bob pointed out.

"But don't let that stop you." Dotty said with a smile. Toni laughed.

"I won't, don't worry." She folded the piece of paper and stuck it in her back pocket. "Be right back." She said, taking off from the table. She skidded to a stop in the hall though, hearing her father's words.

"I'm glad she's taking an interest in something normal. There's enough weirdness going around, no wonder she keeps having those dreams."

"What do you mean?" Dottie asked.

Bob snorted, standing to grab more crackers. "My presentation today was interrupted by some guy who said the village was infested with vampires."

"You're making that up…what guy?"

"I don't know, he was just…crazy. He was filthy and wore a whole bunch of cross necklaces. The guy carried a crossbow around, and he drives a monster truck on steroids!"

Toni bit her lip as she made her way up the stairs to her room. That sure sounded like Rookery. What was he doing at the McAshton's place? She'd just have to watch her step she supposed.

After dinner she did her homework and tried to concentrate on her drawings. Finally, as it grew close to eleven o'clock, she decided that her parents must be fast asleep by now, and wondered why Rudolf hadn't come. After her nap she was no longer tired and wanted nothing more than to go out and do something. And Rudolf had been sleeping all day; surely he'd be bored by now as well! And she could tell his father about the McAshton crest. She was looking forward to the look on his face when she proved that she was a useful ally. She stood and grabbed a light jacket and her soccer ball and snuck down the stairs. She slipped silently out the front door and walked down the road a ways to her car. She'd parked it away from the house just for this reason. Now she could use it to get to the graveyard without waking her parents!

The ride was a fun one. The hilly country between her house and the cemetery made for a great ride. She'd speed up and go downhill and coast her way up the next one. It was a lot like flying with Rudolf, except she stayed near the ground and didn't have a hand to hold. She blushed at herself and sped up again, trying not to think such…fluffy thoughts.

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_Alright, cleaning the toilets wins as the worst chore! Though I admit, I personally find vacuuming worse, lol. I know, i'm weird =P_

_I'm so sorry this took so long to post...technically, being past midnight, I missed a day. But I look at it as...the day doesn't end till I go to bed. And being done with school for the week, I won't be for hours, so there XD What can I say, i'm a night owl ^^ And ya'll? Are you Early birds or night owls?_

_Your Slowly Relaxing Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Toni reached the graveyard in record time, and parked her car behind a crumbling wall near the entrance to the vampire's underground home. She supposed one could call it a lair…she doubted they'd understand the joke if she called it a bat cave though. As she made her way down through the tunnels, she heard shouts echoing along the passage. It sounded like Gregory and his father were having a disagreement.

"We should fight back! Make these mortal's blood run cold!" Gregory was saying.

"And you could do it. You're young, strong, and impulsive. And willing to risk a stake through the heart to prove it." Said Fredrick.

"Better a stake than this prison!"

"I feel your spirit, Gregory."

"But you are Fredrick the Great! You should feel nothing!" Toni rolled her eyes, she had the feeling this wasn't the first time they'd had this sort of argument. Just as she drew near the family's home, the arguments turned into screams from the entire family! Oh great, now what? It had to be Rookery… Now that he knew where they were living it would be easy for him to try and force them from their hiding place.

She dashed into the main cavern, dodging the curtain like roots hanging from the ceiling and coming to a halt. The family was hidden behind Fredrick, who was trying to shield them from the enormous light hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh that monster!" she muttered to herself. She had to get that light out, but how? By the time she got above ground to Rookery's truck, Fredrick would be dead, and probably the rest of the family as well! She realized she was still holding her soccer ball and grinned. It was her perfect weapon. She set the ball down, took a step back and kicked it, aiming it perfectly right into the hanging light and causing it to go out. "Goal!" she shouted happily, punching the air in triumph.

Rudolf grinned and ran to her, lifting her right from the ground as he hugged her. "Thank you." He whispered in her ear. She smiled and hugged him back and he set her down.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, looking towards the rest. The others looked mostly fine, except Fredrick, who lay weakly on the floor. Rudolf knelt by his side in worry and Toni wrung her fingers together, searching for something that could make them feel better about the situation.

"I found out about the coat of arms." She said hesitantly. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. "It's Lord McAshton's, my father's boss. The missing stone could be at his house." Fredrick just stared. "Sir?"

"You barely saved my life." The man said faintly.

"He's very weak." Freda explained. Toni grinned again.

"I know just what you need. Rudy, it's time to go visit the dairy barn again." Rudolf laughed and helped Gregory to lift their father to his feet. He could barely stand.

"It'll take too long to get there." Rudolf said, shaking his head. "Not with us all tired from Rookery's attack. Toni just smiled again.

"I brought my car. All you have to do it get through the tunnels and we'll be out of here!" she said happily. Rudolf grinned again, kissing her cheek as they went by.

"And once again you're the one coming to the rescue."

She giggled softly, cheeks bright pink. "You owe me big time now." She teased.

A short walk and a car ride later, the Sackville-Bagge family was eating their fill at the dairy barn. By this time, Gregory had been forced into a straight jacket and a muzzle, deemed unsafe to wander about on his own. Once Fredrick had drunk his fill, he was once again the one in charge.

"Now, I must find a place to hide you children." He said gathering the family close to him.

"Well the cemetery isn't safe anymore. You could stay at my house." Toni suggested with a shrug.

"We need darkness, dankness and decay." Fredrick pointed out and Toni laughed.

"Then you need our cellar. It's all that and more, and is filled with all sorts of junk where you could find comfortable places to sleep." Fredrick looked at his family and back at her, smiling at her for the first time.

"It seems I was wrong about you Toni Thompson. Lead on." Toni curtsied with a confident smile and they all piled back into the car for the short trip to her house.

Toni parked a bit down the driveway again, hoping to keep her parents asleep. She didn't think they'd take too kindly to a family of squatters in their cellar, let alone a family of vampires. They all made their way as quietly as possible to the cellar doors, and pulled them open. Toni winced at the loud creaking they made. They didn't come down here a lot, WD-40ing the hinges had never come to mind until now. She whispered for them to leave them open, she'd close them when she left.

"Why don't we just go through the house?" Rudolf whispered in her ear as the others went down the stairs.

"It's the smell. Every time you're in my room, my parents have smelled you. If the lot of you troupe through our house they'll know something's going on." He smiled down at her.

"You've really thought this whole thing through haven't you?" Toni giggled as she started to head down.

"Not really, I'm pretty much just making it all up as I go!" She followed the vampire family through the narrow part of the cellar to the very end, furthest from all the windows. Junk filled the corners and she chewed her lower lip.

"It's not the greatest place in the world. I'm sorry, it's-"

"Perfect!" Freda said happily, smiling at her gratefully. Toni smiled back.

"Well, I'm going to head upstairs. You all have a good day's sleep! And don't worry, I'm on it." She assured them. Freda turned to her in confusion.

"On what dear?"

"Finding the amulet, mother." Rudolf explained. "That's how young people talk these days." Toni giggled. Only a few days ago he'd have asked the exact same question. He climbed into a trunk and she went to close the lid for him. "Goodnight Toni."

"G'night Rudy." She said, waving at him as she lowered the lid. She then slipped back up the outside stairs, closing the much too loud cellar door with a wince. She slipped the chain through the handles, making it look as if it was still locked, then hurried upstairs. After hearing such a loud noise surely one of her parents had woken up. And they'd be checking to make sure she was in bed first thing. As she reached her room she heard Bob shuffle from the master bedroom downstairs. She didn't bother undressing, simply hoped into bed, pulling the coveres up to her chin. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, just listening. After what felt like an age she heard Bob push open her door, look at her sleeping for a short time, and then leave, pulling the door shut once again. As soon as she heard him entering his own room she slipped out of bed, going to mirror and to stare at herself.

"This is getting ridiculous Toni." She told her reflection. She was tired, and would only be getting a few hours of sleep once more. Her clothes were covered in dust from the tunnels in the cemetery and the cellar, and she smelled slightly like cows from her visit to the barn. But her shower would have to wait until morning, she was exhausted. She took of her shoes without bothering to untie them and had just slipped off her shirt when she heard creaking on the stairs. She quickly slipped on her nightdress and scrambled out of her jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor as she hopped back into bed to pretend to be asleep. Someone sat beside her on the bed and whispered her name. She looked over slowly, pretending to just wake up, only to see Rudolf and his younger sister.

"Rudy! Anna! Sorry, I thought you were my dad again." She sat up, yawning slightly.

"We're sorry too, but Anna wanted to give you something." Rudolf said, nodding to the blond girl.

"I only wanted you to have this." She whispered, pulling something from her pocket. It was a lace handkerchief, wrapped around something. Toni gave her a smile and unwrapped it to find a dead mouse. "It's from the old country." The girl whispered. "It will bring you luck." Toni raised an eyebrow but grinned, giving the girl a gentle hug.

"Thank you." Anna smiled and hopped from the bed, heading back downstairs. Toni looked at Rudolf with a raised eyebrow. "A dead mouse?" Rudolf laughed and shrugged.

"She's my little sister, I'm not supposed to understand her."

"Is that because she's a younger sibling or because she's a girl?"

"I'd have to say both."

"Hey! I'm not that hard to understand, am I?" Toni asked in an exaggerated tone, trying to sound offended but failing miserably. Rudolf shrugged.

"Surprisingly, no."

"That's just because I'm awesome that way." Toni said with a smug smile. He laughed again, shaking his head.

"Anna isn't the only one who wanted to give you something."

"Oh really now?" Toni asked curiously. Rudolf didn't seem to have anything with him, what was he talking about?

"If you ever need me, just whistle."

"Whistle? As in while you work?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand that reference…but yes. Like this." He let out a long low whistle which seemed to echo in the air around them. Toni tried for herself, but it sounded plain and dull. Feeling a bit silly, she gave him a look. He smiled and held up a necklace, a charm shaped like a silver twist hanging from it. She put it on, still trying to whistle, and the moment the chain was clasped behind her neck, her whistle echoed and she gasped.

"Ok that's just weird!" She exclaimed softly, looking down at the necklace. Rudolf grinned.

"And to everyone else it will sound perfectly normal. But I'll hear it like that, no matter what's happened or where you are, I'll be able to hear it."

"What…is it magic or something?" Rudolf nodded, pulling out a necklace exactly the same as the one she now wore. "These actually hook together, they were made from the same lump of pure silver over three hundred years ago. They're connected. And now so are we." Toni couldn't bite back a smile, her thumb tracing the curved of the smooth metal. "Let me show you..." He grabbed the charm from her necklace and hooked it with his. By themselves they just looked like a random shape. But when intertwined they made a Celtic knot kind of design.

"Thank you…" she whispered. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, blushing shyly. "But you should head back downstairs, we both need sleep. And I only have a few hours for it." Rudolf chucked and nodded.

"It's a big day tomorrow after all."

"It is? Oh yeah! The dance!" Toni remembered, butterflies suddenly swirling about her middle. "I forgot that it was tomorrow…"

He grinned at her and stood. "I'll meet you there at seven." He said turning once he reached the doorway.

"Sweet dreams Toni." He said, and then he was gone. Toni sighed in happiness, leaning back. She did so a tad too fast and whacked her head on the headboard, but even the throbbing in the back of her skull couldn't bring her down from the cloud she was sitting on. She realized that she had a crush. A big one.

It was odd, considering he'd flown into her room as a bat only days before, threatening to drink her blood himself. An interesting meeting had turned into a wonderful friendship. And –If he felt the same – maybe something more? Feeling hopeful, she curled up under the covers and hugged her pillow tight. She knew she'd be having sweet dreams tonight of the scent of damp earth, a large cool hand holding hers, and incredibly black eyes.

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_Apparently, we're all a bunch of night owls! A few who have next to no sleep schedule, but most of us seem to thrive at night. We should all be vampires =P_

_Today is my no-internet day, so I need to be quick. It was part of my new years resolution to have one day a week without internet and (except when necessary) no electronics. So I won't be replying to reviews until tomorrow. Don't worry though, I will! I always do :D Any of you guys make a resolution for the new year? And are you managing to stick with it so far? =P_

_Hope you really enjoyed the chapter!_

_Your internet deprived Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Toni awoke the next morning to her alarm, which she'd thankfully remembered to actually set the night before. She wanted to make sure she was at least in the shower by the time Dottie came to wake her up, she didn't want to have to try and explain the cow smell after all. She washed up and braided her hair in a single braid down her back, dressing in a blue t-shirt and a brown Bermuda shorts. She was loving the weather recently, she'd missed short sleeves!

She arrived at school and had just entered the building when she bumped into none other than Nigel and Flint. Her first instinct was to turn and walk away, but the frightened look on their faces made her smile. She'd forgotten how much they were scared of her!

"Sleep well ladies?" she asked in a simpering voice. They glanced at each other, looking unsure how to answer the question. She just laughed and linked her arms with theirs. "Come on now, class will be starting soon!" They hurried to stay in step with her, seeming very confused. Toni just smiled; she was going to have a great time messing with their heads.

The boys were silent all through their first class, and again through the second one. The teachers were highly confused, wondering why neither of the boys were performing their usual suck-up-to-the-teacher routine before class started. Lunch was even better, as Toni asked them to grab her something from the line, and then sent them back again, declaring the order all wrong.

She smiled as the boys went to stand in line yet again. One really did have to enjoy the little things in life, didn't they? They also served as a very good distraction. The dance tonight was weighing heavily on her mind, and the butterflies in her stomach weren't very happy with her. So she was glad for the excise to not eat what she'd sent the boys to go get for her.

"On second thought…I'm not really hungry. Enjoy you two." She teased, grabbing her things and sauntering away. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Flint shrug and Nigel shake his head in confusion. What fun!

For once the school day went by too fast for Toni's tastes, dreading the party later on. She hated parties. A girl was expected to be sociable and to talk to everyone and to be the loveliest thing in the room. Not to mention to dance with all the guys. Her mother was the same way. Dottie had confessed that she'd only started liking parties once she was married, as she didn't have to flirt with anyone other than the man she already loved.

"Mom?" she asked, coming through the back door and hanging up her keys.

"Yes Toni?" Dottie called back, from the laundry room. Toni followed it, leaning against the door frame.

"Do you think you could help me with my dress? And hair? And…everything else?" she asked with a sheepish grin. Dottie chuckled.

"I would have felt left out if you hadn't asked. But you're waiting until after dinner! It's fate to spill something on yourself if you eat after getting dressed up."

Toni smirked. "You know that for a fact?"

"Both of my proms." The woman said with a dramatic sigh. "We went out for supper before going to the dance. And both times, I spilled. Trust me, it's better not to tempt fate."

The two ate dinner together, chatting about some of Dottie's old school memories and laughing over the many messes she'd gotten herself into. Bob was working late, so they were careful to set aside a plate for him when he got home.

All too soon, Toni was standing in front of her bedroom mirror as her mother laced up the back of her dress.

"Do you have a date?"

"Mom!"

"What? I'm allowed to ask." Toni rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks warm.

"Yeah, I do."

"Is it that Rudy you were telling me about?" Dottie asked, blue meeting her daughter's green in the mirror. Toni looked down at her bare toes, nodding as her cheeks started to glow red. "I knew it! I hope I get to meet him."

"He's actually meeting me there." Toni said quickly. It could be a disaster if Rudy came by and her parents recognized the earthy smell. She didn't know which was worse: that they might suspect him of being a vampire or that they'd know he'd been in her room.

"He can't avoid us forever." The blond woman teased. Toni smiled.

"You'd be surprised." She said as Dottie sat her down and got to work on her hair.

"I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later. And I expect you to encourage it."

"I will Mom, relax."

"Is he at least better looking than Eddie?"

Toni chuckled. "Much much better. Anyone is better looking than my ex."

"Well I suppose that's good. Teeth?"

"Oh yeah!" Toni exclaimed, hopping up and running to her desk. She pulled out the teeth she'd gotten, using the special glue and attaching them to her canines. "Alright…I think we're done."

"Not quite." Dottie said with a smile, grabbing something from the banister out in the hall. A simple gold and silver twined circlet sat in her hands, and she slipped it onto her daughter's forehead. "There, now you're finished."

On impulse, Toni leaned forward and wrapped her arms about the woman's waist. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome Toni. Now you'd better be off, you don't want to keep Rudy waiting."

"We wouldn't want that." Toni said with a grin. She grabbed a handful of soft green fabric in each hand, making her way down the circular staircase, thanking the stars it was still warm enough that she didn't need a jacket or anything. Somehow, having such a modern article of clothing would ruin the magic of the night.

She'd just closed the kitchen door behind her when her father pulled into the driveway. She smiled at him as he looked over, and was surprised when tears entered his eyes.

"You look so grown up." He said, his voice a bit choked with emotion. Toni felt her own eyes fill and blinked the tears away.

"Thanks Dad."

He coughed and nodded stiffly, trying to hide his little breakdown. But the hug he pulled her into was tighter than normal anyway.

"You have a good time. Make sure the guys treat you right."

Toni giggled. "It'll be fine dad. I promise."

"How late will the party go?"

"I'm…not really sure." Toni admitted. "But really, Dad, you don't need to worry. I have my car, and can get home just fine."

He made a face. "I suppose I can't really set a bedtime for you, not when you're eighteen."

Toni smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Nope. Goodnight, Daddy." She said softly, before she hurried to her car.

"Be careful!" he called as she climbed in. She only waved as she drove past him and out of the courtyard, making her way down the long sweeping driveway.

Her parents were so adorably over-protective…and she loved them dearly.

Except now there was a problem. She was distraction-less. She groaned as the butterflies in her stomach evolved into buzzing bees, flying in what felt like a whirlwind.

She hated parties, why was she doing this? Yeah, Rudolf would be there, but what if he was even more awkward than she was? The closer she got to the castle, the more nervous she grew. This night would be a disaster, she knew it.

In a fleeting moment of nerves, she reached over to the passenger seat and picked up her soccer ball. Holding it in her lap made her calm down a bit, and she took a deep breath. There, on the hilltop, was the large hall where the dance was taking place. It was a cottage by the McAshton standards, but a mansion to most everyone else. Lord McAshton had decreed that the boys and their classmates would be far too noisy far too late to have a party at their own house. So they were having it here instead.

The entire building glittered with lights, looking like something out of a fairy tale. And there, near the entrance, stood a shadowy form. Just from the way he stood, Toni could tell it was Rudolf. The butterflies in her stomach froze and then started whirling once more.

Suddenly, she felt like the entire night would hinge on the way he reacted to her once she got out of the car.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_We're finally getting to the good writing! Everything before this was written a long time ago, seeing as I started this story...oh goodness, years ago now, lol. We're finally getting to the new stuff, where my writing isn't so horrible. I hope you guys like it better as well :D_

_Hmm...I think if I was going to a Halloween dance like this, I'd dress up as...a fairy most likely, lol. What about you guys? What would you dress up as for a dance like Toni's attending?_

_Your Giddy Authoress, _

_Whisperwings  
_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Rudolf tugged at his coat, making sure it lay right over his plain white dress shirt. He'd exchanged his worn jeans for a pair of black trousers. His typical long coat had been replaced by a much fancier shorter coat with a high collar. He didn't feel much like a Prince Charming, but the looks he'd gotten from a few of Toni's female classmates told him he'd done well.

About twenty different cars had pulled up in the time he'd been waiting. Many were couples, attending the dance together. Girls clung to the arms of their partners, looking up at them with dreamy smiles. The boys seemed to a bit nervous, some of them looking as if they couldn't believe their luck. Other arrived either alone or with groups of friends.

Finally, Toni's silver car appeared, pulling up to the large house on the hill. Rudolf grinned when she didn't leave the vehicle, and instead went to her, opening the driver side door.

"Something wrong?"

Toni made a face, not moving from her seat and holding her soccer ball as if it were a teddy bear. "No." she said shortly. "Maybe…ok yes. I'm just…nervous."

The boy chuckled and held out a hand. "The longer you sit and wait to go in, the more nervous you'll get."

She stared at his hand for a few moments before finally taking it, trying to stand up only to realize her seatbelt was still buckled, holding her down.

"Oops." She said with a blush and a giggle, unbinding herself and taking his hand once more.

"Toni…?"

"What?"

"You have to leave the ball here." He sad with a grin. She sighed and looked at the ball in her hands.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes." He said with a laugh, tugging it away from her and tossing it back into the car, shutting the door after it. "You can't dance with a soccer ball."

"I bet I could." The girl pointed out with a crooked grin, making a small dimple appear on her right cheek.

"Well, it doesn't match your costume." He shot right back, tugging her away from the car and looking her over. She really did look lovely tonight. Her hair was curled and pulled back into a bun, some of the curls falling free to frame her face. Her dress looked even better than he remembered it, hugging her gentle curves to flow into a wide skirt.

"You look beautiful."

Her cheeks turned pink, making him smile again. "Thanks. You do too, where'd you get the clothes?"

Rudolf chuckled and held out an arm. "The McAshton boys were kind enough to unknowingly lend me a few things."

Toni snorted and grinned, slipping her arm through his as she shook her head. "I'm sure they wouldn't have argued even if they had known."

"Not when they're terrified of me." Rudolf said brightly, as if they discussed a summer day rather than two petrified teenagers. "How were they at school?"

"Hilarious." Toni said with feeling, her smile growing and the butterflies calming down. "I made them get my lunch and carry my books all day…it was so much fun just to confuse them."

The boy laughed, starting to walk towards the door. "Shall we make our big entrance?"

Toni chewed on her lip a bit and finally nodded. "Alright…let's get this over with."

Rudolf led her through the large heavy double doors of the mansion, and they emerged in a large courtyard. Students dotted it, looking a tad chilly as they chatted with their friends.

"Names?"

Toni blinked in surprise and answered without thinking. A real Herald? This dance may be fancier than she'd been expecting…

"Lady Antonia and Sir Rudolf." The herald said, as the pair walked down the three steps into the courtyard. Everyone glanced over, only to start muttering.

"Great…because I wanted to be talked about even more." Toni complained with an eye roll. Rudolf simply led her over to the side of courtyard and to a bench, sitting down. Toni sighed and leaned against him as the breeze grew more chilly, looking around.

"For a costume party, no one got very creative." She commented, eyeing at least three princesses just in the nearest group of teenagers.

"I'm afraid I fall into that category." Rudolf added, nodding to another boy in an outfit almost exactly like his own.

"I bet he doesn't have teeth." Toni pointed out with a grin. "You'll simply have to be the Vampire Prince for tonight."

He grinned at her, an eyebrow twitching higher in amusement. "So that would make you my Vampire Princess?"

"But of course." The blond said with a catching smile. Rudolf looked down at her, hyper aware of details he'd never noticed before. The dimple on her right cheek, the gold flecks in her green eyes. Even the gentle curve of her jaw seemed perfect for her.

Toni was entirely absorbed by her friend's appearance as well, enough so that she hardly realized that he was staring at her just as intently. Despite everything, his eyes were still her favorite feature. They were the darkest black she'd ever seen, and seemed able to look right through her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the party begin." Both Rudolf and Toni jumped at the voice and pulled away from each other, Toni turning pink again and Rudolf clearing his throat. They watched as a second set of doors opened and students started to filter inside.

Rudolf held out an arm. "Shall we?"

"Let's." Toni agreed, eager to lose the slight tension between them. The ballroom of the "cottage" was shining and glittering, thanks to a disco ball and dozens of tin stars hanging from the ceiling. Fake rubber bats hung about as well, the look complete with a giant carved pumpkin in the center of the buffet table.

"Oh wow!" Toni exclaimed, her green eyes lighting up as she looked around. "This is so cool! I'll need to go compliment the boys sometime tonight."

"The McAshton boys? Why?" Rudolf asked in honest confusion. Toni beamed, albeit a tad evilly.

"It keeps them on their toes when they don't know what to expect. It'll be even more fun if you come over with me."

The vampire had to smile. "Alright alright, we'll scare them. Again. Don't forget that we do have to dance. It's a party after all."

Toni stopped short, ignoring the indignant complaining of the girl who ran into her because of it. "Dance? I never said anything about dancing."

Rudolf pointed over where a few people had already started o dance and the blond groaned. "Oh it can't be that bed." Rudolf said with a chuckle.

"Trust me, I'm that bad." Toni said with a sigh. "Alright, scaring the boys first." She said firmly, grabbing Rudolf hand and pulling him through the room.

"Just what is that glittering thing up there?" he asked her as they wandered about the room.

"The disco ball?"

"Is that what it's called? I lived through the disco era, but I've never seen one of these things before. How does it work?"

Toni giggled. "You seem like such a normal guy, and then you say things like that. It's just a ball with mirrors on it. Other lights reflect on the mirrors and break it up." She explained, searching for brothers.

She finally spotted them over by the buffet table, greeting their friends and smiling at the pretty girls.

"Hello boys. Nice party." Toni said, grinning at their sudden stiffness. "I do believe you remember my friend Rudolf? You met the other night, if you'll recall."

Rudolf nodded to the boys and grinned, his vampire teeth practically glinting at them. "Hello again. I do trust you've been good to Toni."

"Yes." The boys said at the same time, struggling to maintain their control.

"Excellent. Carry on." Rudolf said, resting Toni's hand on his arm once more and leading her away. Toni couldn't help but waggle her fingers at them as they left, giggling to herself.

"Why Rudy, you are secretly a gentleman." She said, her voice full of mock surprise.

"And you, my dear Toni, are a prankster." He retorted, black eyes glittering. "Come on, let's get you a few snacks."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Alright...was yesterday a busy day for everyone? i know the last chapter went up, cuz I did get one review, but I didn't hear from anyone else all night. I do hope the last chapter wasn't that bad, not when I personally thought it was a huge improvement ._

_Please pleeeeease review and let me know!_

_Your Worried Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As Rudolf went to fill their glasses with fresh punch, Toni sat at a small table at the edge of the room, watching wistfully as one boy gracefully danced his partner about the dance floor. "Look at them." She said softly when the vampire took his seat once more, setting their glasses on the table. "They move like they're one person. Or like they can read each other's minds."

Rudolf shook his head, swallowing his mouthful of punch and grimacing before speaking. "They're just practiced. The boy learns to send certain signals and the girl learns to pick them up."

Toni chuckled to herself. "Yeah, I'm not that talented."

"You really don't dance?" he asked, sounding surprised. Toni gave him a look.

"No, I don't. I play soccer, that's more than enough for me."

He stood and grabbed her hand, not waiting for her acquiescence to pull her onto the dance floor. "Then I'll show you."

"No!" Toni gasped, trying to pull away once more, back to their little table. "No, I'm no good, trust me." she pleaded, trying to pull her hand free of his. He was strong though, darn it.

"Just relax, I'll show you." The vampire said with a laugh, swinging her about to face him. His hand was soon on her waist, the other taking hers. She swallowed nervously and placed her free hand on his arm, looking down at her feet.

"Now what?"

"Don't watch the floor." He suggested, lifting her chin with a finger. "It's easier to follow when you don't think so hard about it."

He stepped forward and she was pushed back, forced to step back or fall over. "Now sideways, and we do it again." He said, very slowly leading her through the steps. "And what do you know, you're waltzing."

"I'm waltzing?" she asked, looking down at her feet again. It was a mistake, as she tripped, almost pulling him over in the process.

He laughed and straightened, pulling her upright again. "Well, you were. Come on, try it again."

"Right…" she muttered, focusing on following his lead. It got harder and harder as he sped up, and soon she was stepping on his feet more than the floor. "Sorry, I'm sorry." She kept saying, feeling horribly clumsy. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Toni, just slow down and take your time. We'll just keep it slow."

"Slow. I can do that." She muttered to herself, counting slowly as they waltzed slowly around the edge of the dance floor. Slowly, she managed to figure out the pattern, hardly even noticing when Rudolf threw in a gentle twirl or extra step.

"This isn't actually that bad!" she said, looking up at him with a smile. He smirked down at her.

"Told you so."

"Oh hush. I can still beat you senseless in soccer."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Care to prove it?"

Toni blinked. "What? Now?"

"Why not? We've made an appearance, and that's all you really needed to do, right?"

An enormous smile spread across the blond's face as she nodded. "You're absolutely right. Come on!" She pulled Rudolf right out of the dance and off the hard wood dance floor, making her way to the door.

"Nice moves, Thompson."

Toni glanced up as she reached the top of the staircase, seeing a girl with friendly smile there.

"Um…thanks." She said, watching as the girl went down to join her friends.

"Who was that?"

"I have no idea." Toni admitted. "Tonight is just full of surprises I suppose. People talk to me, _and_ I can waltz!"

"You can _kind of_ waltz." Rudolf teased. "There is quite a difference between what we were doing and what waltzing is supposed to look like."

"Oh hush, you'll ruin the moment." She retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. She looked over her shoulder and smirked a tad evilly. "Can I go say goodbye?"

Rudolf stopped and rolled his eyes, but waved for her to go. She grinned and thanked him, before literally skipping across the dance floor to the McAshton brothers.

"We're taking off early." She said with a smile, giggling as they both stiffened so much they looked like they were in a military inspection. "Oh relax, I'm not about to sick Rudolf on you. Not in public anyway, he likes to keep quiet about being a vampire." She added in a confiding whisper.

Nigel and Flint exchanged glances and she shook her head. "I swear, you two need to use your heads more. I'll see you later, boys!"

She danced away, dodging couples as she made her way back over to Rudolf. He was chatting with the girl from earlier, and looked over with a smile as she came near.

"There you are! Have fun?" he asked. He rested a hand at the small of her back and Toni noticed the girl's slightly fallen smile.

"Tons." She said, turning to the girl. "Hey."

"Hi! I realized earlier that you probably had no idea who the 'ell I was, and decided to come and introduce myself. I'm Kady." She said in a rush, holding out a hand. Toni shook it, eyebrows slightly raised at the girl's energy. "Where you two heading? Bored of the dance already?"

Toni giggled in amusement and shrugged. "I'm not much for dances…Rudy and I were planning on heading off to play soccer. Or…football, whatever."

"Oh fun! Sounds a lot better than stepping on toes the whole evening." Kady said, rolling brilliant blue eyes. Toni looked up at Rudolf who seemed to read her mind.

"Would you care to join us?" he asked her.

"Really? Are you sure?" the girl exclaimed beaming. Toni had to laugh.

"We're sure, come on!"

The trio hurried to the car and hopped in, Toni driving off into the night. "So where are we going?" Kady asked from the back seat. She'd taken the middle seat and leaned forward so far she was practically between Toni and Rudolf.

"Hmm? Oh, nowhere in particular." Toni admitted. "Just somewhere that isn't my house and isn't the dance."

"So any flat grassy area would work?"

"Yup."

"Turn left here then. I know a great place."

"Alrighty…" Toni followed Kady's directions, and found herself wonderfully surprised as they pulled off the last dirt road. Before them stretched a large meadow, a lake to their right reflecting the almost full moon like a mirror. Fog rolled from the water, blurring the trees surrounding the expansive flat area.

"Oh wow Kady, this is perfect!" Toni whispered as she took in the serene location. She knew the girl was beaming without even having to turn around. Rudolf circled the side of the car, soccer ball in hand.

"You ready for this?" he asked. Toni smirked.

"More than."

Rudolf drop kicked the soccer ball and Toni ran after it, performing a nifty little stop and turn trick she'd practiced long and hard on, before kicking it back towards them. To her surprise, it wasn't Rudolf or Kady who stopped it, but Gregory. Wasn't he supposed to be tied up in a straight jacket in her cellar?

"What are you doing here?" she asked, jogging back over. The older boy shrugged, spiked hair gleaming there was so much gel in it.

"Following you." He admitted. Toni made a face, realizing that he'd probably been following his younger brother about in bat form the whole evening. "Care for another player?" Toni's first instinct was to refuse, disliking the way he flirted with her, but then she noticed something. He was eying Kady with a curious look. Her smile grew as he expertly kicked the ball upwards and bounced it on his knees. Some real competition, eh?

"Alright. You're on."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Oh come now, you didn't expect me to take the obvious path with the dance, did you? That would have been boring =P And now, as some of you have been hoping, Gregory is getting some more screen time as well! And, we're halfway done with the story! There's 26 chapters total, so we've just crossed the halfway point. Hurrayness!_

_Now then...do people want me to update slower? Like...every other day rather than every day? I know it can be a lot of reading with daily updates, so shall I slow down? Let me know!_

_Your Hungry Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The four teens played soccer for almost a full hour, though no score was kept. There weren't even any real teams. But it was more fun than the dance could have ever been. Eventually, Kady went to sit down and Gregory followed her, the pair chatting up a storm. Meanwhile, Toni did her best to show Rudolf how to do simple tricks with the ball.

"No no, you have to bounce it on the flat part of your knee. Right here." She told him, slapping her own knee in demonstration.

"It's not as easy as looks." He grumbled defensively. Toni chuckled and kicked the ball out of his hands, letting it roll across the field.

"I told you so."

His eyes flashed at the challenge, the look he gave her was full of mischief and just enough warning that she was able to dodge out of the way of his hands. She squealed when he lunged again and took off running after the ball, lifting her dress high to keep it out of the way.

But he was gaining on her! What? That couldn't be right, Toni had always been the fastest of any group she'd been in. Even on the soccer team she was known for her speed.

"Stupid dress." She grumbled, pulling the fabric higher and picking up speed. Rudolf only laughed and passed right by her, putting in as much effort as a light jog. Her jaw dropped. "How…? Oh. Right. Vampire, duh."

He reached the ball first and planted a foot on it, but Toni danced the thing away from him with ease. He finally gave up trying to be fair and grabbed her around the waist.

"Hey! You cheater!" she yelled as he swung her around, making her laugh until they tumbled down into the grass.

Words failed her when they stopped rolling, as he was hovering over her with a certain glint in his eyes. "Um…hi."

"Hello." He replied, chuckling at her lame response before rolling over to lie on the grass beside her.

"I didn't know you were so fast!"

"Of course I'm fast. I wouldn't be much of a predator is my prey could outrun me." he pointed out. The matter of fact way he said it made her grimace, but she had to admit it made sense.

"Well, I still call it cheating."

"Why?"

"Because it's unfair."

"Ah, but is it fair that you are playing soccer against me even though you've been playing for years and it's only my first try?"

"Well…no."

"Exactly. It's not cheating, it's using your resources!"

Toni burst into giggles and rolled onto her side, propping up her head to look at him. "You're silly, you know that?"

"I do now, thank you for telling me." he teased, sitting up and bowing, making her roll her eyes and laugh again. "However, on a more serious note…won't your father be upset that I'm keeping you out this late?"

Toni snorted and rolled onto her stomach. "Nah. I told him flat out not to expect me home too early."

He got to his feet anyway. "Are you sure? Because it's bad enough that I haven't met him personally…then I keep you out and-"

"Rudy, you're fine." Toni assured him. "He knows I'm old enough to make my own decisions. And he also has no idea how late the dance goes. He can't say a word if I get home later than he expects. For all he knows, the party will last all night with the kids playing video games or something."

"I suppose…where's your ball?"

"What? Oh, it's right there. Phew!" she said, hopping up and scooping her ball into her arms. "Wouldn't want to forget this. Can we drop it off by the car before doing…whatever we end up doing?"

He laughed and nodded, walking beside her. "You love that ball more than Anna loves her poetry I think."

"Anna likes poetry?"

"She loves it. She writes her own poems and recites them to us. It gets a bit annoying actually…"

"That's because it's poetry. Yuck." Toni said with a laugh. "Oh…well lookie here." She said softly, a smile warming her face.

Kady sat on the trunk of the silver car, Gregory standing before her with his hands braced on either side of her. It was quite frankly adorable. She decided not to bother them, instead rolling the ball towards the car and linking her arm with Rudolf's to pull him away.

"I think we must have been matchmakers in a previous life." She giggled softly, looking back at the pair. Rudolf turned to look as well, just in time to see Kady lean forward and capture Gregory's lips with her own. Toni burst into giggles once more and Rudolf had to hush her as they went further away.

"I will say one thing. He's never been so interested in a girl before. Not serious enough to do more than flirt anyway."

"Not in nine hundred years? You guys need to get out more." Toni teased, nudging him as they looked out over the lake. Their link arms slipped apart, only for their fingers to lace together instead, making Toni's heart sing with gentle happiness. The fog was rolling thicker now, waving through the grass and up to their knees like a solid thing. She plopped down onto the grass, making the fog roll away and pulling Rudolf down. He settled into his seat as well, and between the fog and the dark, Toni felt like they were the only two people in the world.

"I'm glad I came here." She whispered.

"To Scotland? I thought you wanted to go back to America?"

"I did at first. But now? Now there's Kady…she seems like a lot of fun. And you're here too. If I hadn't come I never would have met you."

"I know…" he muttered, glancing out over the lake.

"So…now I'm really glad I came. Once you and your family are human again, it'll be nice to have friends again. I'm glad it's all worked out so well."

Rudolf didn't turn, but his stiff posture told her something was wrong.

"Rudy?"

"Toni…I won't always be here."

"What do you mean? You planning on leaving?"

"Not exactly." He muttered. He still wouldn't look at her. "It's…when we become human."

"But you want to become human. Don't you?"

"Yes, of course! But…we don't just change."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed, the black lake still holding his gaze. "Think of us as puzzle pieces. Everyone in the world is a piece of a giant puzzle. When a human becomes a vampire, that piece is pulled free of the puzzle. So…when we turn back, our piece goes right back into place. As if it never left."

Toni licked her lips, but her mouth was so dry it didn't make a difference. "I'm…not sure I know what you're getting at."

"We go back. Take my family for example. We were turned in England. So…when we become human again, we'll end up there."

"Alright, makes sense. But it's not like you won't come back."

He sighed again, eyes trailing downwards to be absorbed by the grass instead. "Toni…everything changes for us. We'll have vague memories of being vampires, but we'll also have lives. Entire lives are created for us, so it will be as if we were never turned. I don't know how…but we'll even have a reason for not having a house or belongings. Our puzzle pieces are literally slotted back into place so we fit into society perfectly once more."

"But… But you'll come back." She whispered, eyes tracing his profile. "Once you're all settled and everything, you'll come here. And find me."

He finally looked at her, his black eyes overflowing with sadness that made her heart seize. "Toni…I won't even remember that you exist."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Alright, so not a TON of screentime for Gregory. I was considering adding in a whole new chapter, but I frankly didn't have time. Or the energy ^^; But that's alright, i still got to be mean to the characters :D For those who aren't familiar with my stories, i looove tortunring my characters :D_

_And, at the request of every single person who reviewed, I won't be slowing down my updates, don't worry, lol. If anything, i'm surprised how many people actually protested the idea! Amazing how easy it is to hit that little review button and say something, ain't it? ._

_Your Amused Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What?" Toni asked in a horrified whisper.

"I'll only have vague memories." Rudolf explained. "Without anything to pull the memories to the surface, they'll be buried. Like a dream you only half remember."

"But…you'll forget me?"

"I'm afraid so."

"No!" she exclaimed, shooting to her feet. She didn't know why, standing didn't make much of a difference. But she felt better standing up. More prepared. Either to kick something or to run until she collapsed. "No, it _can't_ work like that."

"But it does. I'm sorry."

"How can you be so calm about this?" she demanded, stepping away as he got to his feet. She didn't give him a chance to reply. "I suppose it doesn't really matter much… A week for you is like a blink of an eye after nine hundred years. But me? Rudy, do you have any idea what you've done? You've shown me a world most people don't even know exists! In a single week, I've learned about an entire species out of storybooks! In a single week, I've gained the best friend I've ever had and he's just going to disappear? No, this is not okay!""

"Toni, stop!" he begged, resting a hand on her arm. She shrugged it away and tried to turn, the emotions in his eyes too much for her. He didn't let her, grabbing her arms and looking her right in the eye. "Toni…this is anything but easy for me." he whispered. "I've become closer with you in a week than I ever was with people I knew all through my childhood. You've opened up doors I thought were closed for good. Trust me…I'm not happy about this either."

She sniffed and wiped at her cheek, though the tears were soon replaced. "Why didn't you warn me?"

He smiled softly. "In my defense, I didn't expect to ever see you again after that first night."

A watery smile appeared and she shook her head. "Screwed that one up, didn't you?"

"Indeed."

Toni sighed and leaned against him, feeling his arms close behind her. She in turn let her arms slip around his waist, hugging him tight. "I don't want you to go."

"And I don't want to."

"So don't." she suggested, pulling back to look up at him. "Just…don't do the ritual thing. You can just stay here."

"Toni, that would be torture."

"Oh, it wouldn't be so bad. You could live at my house, we have plenty of rooms."

"But you would age. And I would not. I'd be forced t watch you get old and eventually die. And you'll be forced to see me exactly as I am. Forever."

The girl grimaced and hid her face in his shirt once more. "Alright fine, bad idea…" Her mind whirled until she landed on a different idea. But like so many times before, he seemed to already know what she was thinking.

"And I am not turning you Toni, so don't even think about it. This is not a good life, and I wouldn't let you willingly enter it."

"Fine." She grumbled with a heavy sigh. She had to admit…she didn't exactly relish the thought of an immortal life spent hiding away from the world. "This sucks."

"I know." He whispered, resting his chin on her head as he gazed out at the lake once more. It was so bittersweet…he wanted to be human more than anything. He had for hundreds of years. He'd never had anything tying him to this undead life before. But now…

He couldn't stand the thought of leaving Toni behind. In only a few days of knowing her, she'd reminded him just how precious the little things really were. She'd shown him the joys in the gifts he'd been given. She'd lit up his dark world like the sun coming over the horizon.

And now…he had to leave all that behind. Would he forget the lessons she'd taught him? He hoped not…he hoped that maybe there was a slight chance he'd remember her. Even vaguely. All he needed was a reminder and he'd remember her…he just didn't know how to remind himself of anything once he was human again. He wouldn't even know there was something he'd wanted to remember in the first place.

The girl grumbled into his shirt again, but he didn't think there were any words in the frustrated sounds. It made him smile though, despite everything. She then turned her head so she could speak.

"You know what you said earlier? About my dad being upset?"

"Yes."

"Well…that's probably coming into play now." She said with a grimace. "He may not kill you, but he'll certainly kill me."

"Understandable. Every book must end at some point. And we may as well end tonight's chapter on a happy note." Rudolf chuckled and kissed her forehead, pulling away with reluctance. "Alright then, come on. It's time to get you back home."

Toni grinned up at him, green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Does that happy note include teasing your brother mercilessly?" she asked, eager to forget the sad thoughts and focus on the happy ones. There was no use dwelling on his goodbye, she simply needed to make as many memories with him as she could.

"Absolutely."

The pair walked back over to the car, hand in hand once again. They found Kady curled up in Geoffrey's lap, half asleep.

"Awww…." Toni declared in a simpering voice. "You two are so cute!"

"Aw shut it, Thompson." Kady said with a yawn. "Are we leaving?"

"Yeah. My dad will have a fit if I'm out much later." Toni responded. "Where do you live, I can drop you off at home."

"Right over that hill actually." The girl replied, waving a hand vaguely to her left.

"I can take her." Geoffrey offered. "I don't exactly have a curfew."

Toni snickered and Rudolf elbowed her. "That's fine with me. I won't say a word." He promised.

"You better not." The older boy threatened, standing with ease. Kady was so tiny that he seemed to have no problem. Of course his vampire strength helped with that. He walked off towards Kady's house, the fog swirling with his passage, leaving Toni and Rudolf on their own.

"What about that straight jacket?" Toni asked as she climbed into the car.

"He got out of it, he can put it back on." Rudolf replied with a shrug as he buckled himself in. "When Mum finds out, she'll only make it tighter. Serves him right for sneaking out."

Toni bit back a giggle as the car gently came to life. "You have to admit, they look really good together."

"Yes…yes, they do." He said softly, reaching over to take her free hand as they drove back to the house.

She parked and winced at the crunch of gravel underfoot as she made her way across the courtyard. The lights in her parent's room were off, but that didn't mean anything. Just in case they were listening, Rudy floated a few inches off the ground so they'd only hear Toni. The pair lifted the cellar door and Toni held it for him, grinning when he hesitated.

"Goodnight Rudy." She whispered, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. "And thanks…for tonight I mean."

He smiled, fingers brushing the back of her hand as he stepped down the stairs. "Goodnight, Toni." He replied before disappearing into the darkness. She carefully closed the heavy door behind him, then tiptoed to the front door and let herself in. Once upstairs she changed into her pajamas. A tank top and loose sleep pants this time. The entire night had been magical and like something out of a story, but now she was in the mood for something a little more modern. She completed the feel by playing her iPod as she got ready for bed and wrote the events of the night in her journal.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but she must have, for she was woken by the soft light of her bedside lamp and a weight on her bed.

"Rudy?" she questioned, not even needing to open her eyes to know it was him.

He replied with a chuckle. "If I'd been your father, I would be very upset right now."

She smirked and rolled over, opening bleary eyes to look at him. "My dad doesn't smell like clean soil." She pointed out. "What's up?"

"Um…the ceiling, then the roof…and above that the sky."

Toni blinked and then burst into giggles, hiding her face in her pillow to muffle them. "No..." she gasped when she'd calmed down. "No, I mean what is it? What did you need?"

"Oh! Well…nothing really." He admitted with a shrug. "Anna gave me the excuse to come up when she asked if you'd put her mouse in a safe place."

Toni smiled and shook her head in amusement, nodding over to her nightstand. There sat the wrapped handkerchief, containing a dead mouse. "Haven't done much with it really…" she yawned again and rolled back over, wincing when her journal poked her in the ribs. "Ouch." She grumbled, stuffing the thing between her mattresses once more and dropping her pen on the nightstand.

"You should get some sleep." He whispered, making to stand. Toni grabbed his sleeve though, realizing that he'd changed back into his own clothing, though the long coat was nowhere to be found.

"Stay?" she requested, sleepy eyes opening to plead with him. He chuckled and nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Of course."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_D'aaaaawwwww! Reading the end of this chapter make me melt, and I was the one who wrote the darn thing! There's nothing cuter than a guy searching for an excuse to see you :D_

_I need a boyfriend -.-_

_Your (not desperate I swear!) Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Toni woke slowly, more comfortable than she could ever remember being. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she remembered the events of the night before. Along with the fact that her pillow was actually Rudolf's chest. A smile bloomed and she heard a soft chuckle, making her look up.

"Good morning, Toni. Why are you awake so early? There's no reason to, is there?"

"Nope." She mumbled happily, curling against him happily. "It's Saturday." A different thought made her groan and blink her eyes free of sleep though. "But I still have to get up."

"What for? There's no school today."

"No, but I'm going to work with my Dad. To find out about the crest and the stone and whatnot, remember?" She reminded him, forcing herself to sit up. She yawned so wide it felt like her head would split in two, straightening her twisted tank top.

"I'd forgotten about that…"

"Me too." She admitted, climbing out of bed. "I'm going to grab some breakfast, want anything?" he sent her a look and she flushed a bit. "Right. Vampire, duh. Sorry. Um...be right back." She said quickly, dashing from her room and sneaking down to the kitchen to grab a few things. She avoided the living room where her mother was doing her yoga routine, not wanting to deal with questions about the dance just then.

She popped back into her room holding a muffin and a banana, plopping down at the end of the bed while Rudolf continued to lean against the headboard. "So…you can't eat? At all?" she asked him, pulling the paper away from her poppy seed muffin.

"Well, I can." He amended. "But food turns to ash the moment we eat it."

"Ew." She said with feeling, glaring at her muffin as if it did it on purpose. "No wonder you avoid eating real food."

"Exactly. After nine hundred years, I can't even remember what things taste like any more."

"That's awful." She whispered, munching slowly on the muffin, savoring every flavor. "I don't think I'd be able to live without food."

"You could if you were a vampire." He reminded her with a chuckle. A distant look appeared on his face as he gazed towards the curtained windows. "I remember…the first few decades after being turned, I would dream about food. I haven't even really thought about it lately though."

Toni opened her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by a shout on the stairs. "Toni! You'd better be awake!"

"Crap." She whispered, shoving Rudolf right off the bed. He landed with a thump and a protest, but she only giggled and ordered him to hide. He glared one last time before rolling under the bed, right as Dottie opened the door.

"Rise and shine, Toni. You're father is on his way to get you."

"Alright. Got it." Toni said quickly. "I'll be done in a sec."

Dottie sniffed the air and frowned, sniffing again. "There is that smell again…do you have a bag of soil in here or something?"

"No." Toni replied, eyebrows creasing in slight annoyance. "Why would I keep soil in my room?"

"I don't know it's just…I keep smelling something in here…" Dottie muttered, opening her closet. To check her daughter's shoes most likely... She froze at something else though and pulled her dress from the night before out. Toni had hung it up, but now she realized just how messy it was in the daylight. Grass stains littered the fabric, and the hem was splattered with flecks of mud and dirt.

"Toni…what on earth happened?" Dottie sent her an accusing look, as if she was hiding something. Well…she was hiding something, but not what Dottie was thinking.

"Nothing happened, _Mother_." Toni said, snatching the dress from her hands and stuffing it back into the closet. "We left the dance early and went to play soccer for a while."

"What, just you and Rudolf?" Dottie was glaring as if Toni had slept with her entire science class, making the girl roll her eyes.

"Actually no. His brother Gregory came along, and so did Kady. A girl from school."

"A…a girl from school?" Dottie's surprised face only miffed Toni further.

"Yes, a girl from school. Now if you don't mind, I need to get dressed?"

"Oh, right of course. Be quick, hun!" the woman said as she left the room, Toni shutting the door behind her.

"At least she dropped the subject of the smell." She grumbled as Rudolf popped up from behind the bed.

"Thankfully. I was just waiting for her to look under here. Should I go?" he asked, eying the clothes in her arms.

"Hmm? Oh, no not yet. I'll change in the bathroom. I'll have to distract mom and get her out of the house so you can sneak back down to the cellar…" she told him. "Don't peek!"

She got ready for the day in record time, her blue t-shirt and jean capri's more suitable for the sneaking around she had planned. She'd just tied her shoes and pulled her hair into a loose braid when she heard the car pull up outside.

"Right then, time to go. Wish me luck!" she said with a smile in Rudolf direction. He stopped her from leaving with a hug.

"Toni…be careful. You were the one who found out Rookery was poking around at the McAshton Estate. If he sees you…"

"I know." She assured him, looking up with confident eyes. "I'll be careful, I promise. This is our only lead Rudy, I have to follow it. We have to find the stone by tonight."

He sighed and nodded. "I know…I just worry."

She smiled and hugged him once more. "You just need to get downstairs and make sure your parents don't freak out about you spending the night up here." She teased. He groaned in response, and she laughed. "I'll see you later, Rudy." She promised, before pushing him out the door. She was about to follow when she spotted the handkerchief on the nightstand. Well…may as well, right? She needed all the help she could get, and if a lucky dead mouse would do the trick, who was she to leave it behind?

"There you are, perfect timing. Got everything?" Dottie asked as she arrived on the main floor of the house.

"I don't really need anything." Toni pointed out, tossing the remains of her breakfast in the garbage.

"I suppose that's true enough. You should take a jacket though. You never know which way the weather here will turn." Toni giggled and nodded, grabbing a much too large wind breaker from the hook in the kitchen. She quickly stuffed the mouse into the pocket, seeing as her mother wouldn't understand the whole dead mouse thing and she didn't want to explain it.

"How did the dance go last night, anyway?" Dottie asked, following Toni from the house. Perfect. Now Rudolf could sneak downstairs with no one being the wiser.

"It was pretty good." Toni admitted with a shrug. "Soccer afterwards was much more fun though."

"Of course it was." Dottie said with a teasing eye roll. "I'm surprised you didn't invite Rudy along today."

"He couldn't make it." Toni said, shrugging on her jacket.

"The mysterious stranger."

"Oh…he's around." The girl said vaguely, spotting Rudolf dashing down the stairs and shooting through the door to the cellar.

"Well it would be nice to meet him one of these days. We could have his parents over for dinner."

"They'd rather have you for dinner." Toni replied with an amused smile.

"Either way. Well off you go. Have fun today."

"I will!" Toni promised, hopping into the passenger seat of the land rover and waving as Bob drove them out of the courtyard.

"You excited for this?"

"Yup." Toni said with a grin. He glanced at her in surprise.

"How come? I know my project isn't that interesting."

Toni giggled and shook her head. "I really want to see the house…and maybe learn a bit about the McAshton family history. I figure Lord McAshton is the one to ask."

"Oh yeah, he's the one to ask. He'll fill your ear for hours if you let him."

Toni grinned and gazed out the window at the sunny Scottish countryside. Maybe…she could get him to tell her the story of the girl in her vision.

And if all went well, maybe she could find the stone.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Woohoo, adventure time! Fluff is good...but it does tend to get old if there's no drama and excitement to balance it out =P_

_Blech, now on to do homework...for my class in the ancient Greek language, oh joy. it's easily my hardest and eaest favorite class...what about you guys? What class can you just not stand?_

_Your Grumbling Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The McAshton Estate had never looked more intimidating or lovely to Toni as Bob drove them up the long drive. She'd seen it many times before, but always from a distance. Either from the road on the way to school, or flying over it with Rudolf. To actually drive up to the front like a normal person was an entirely different experience.

"It's beautiful!" she whispered with feeling, leaning forward to take in the whole front façade.

"Isn't it? And we haven't even started work on cleaning the outside of the house yet. It'll shine like it was brand new before we're done." Bob said as they piled out of the car.

"It'll look fantastic, Dad." She told him with a smile. The place was enormous! It would easily be able to handle the many tourists searching for a relaxing resort vacation. Even if the place was booked she had no doubt that there'd be plenty of extra room.

"And there's Lord McAshton." Bob said, pointing to an older man talking with a few of the builders. "He…looks confused again. You coming?"

"Yeah!" she called, looking over the building one last time before turning to catch up with her father.

"Mind your manners, Toni."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a look. "Dad, I think I know how to be polite by now."

"Just making sure." He teased as they strolled up. "Ah, Lord McAshton! I'd like you to meet my daughter, Toni."

"At last, the lovely Antonia Thompson. It's wonderful to meet you. My grandsons tell me you're settling in quite nicely here."

Toni shook his hand with a smile, though she doubted Nigel and Flint would ever say any such thing. "It's beautiful country here." She said instead, making the man smile as well. It was if she'd complimented his jacket, not the land he lived on.

As she released the older man's hand, an all too familiar truck came up the drive. Toni's eyes widened and she carefully shifted position, using her father to shield her from view. Rookery… Why was he here? Of all the worst times to show up…

"Toni is very interested in your family's history, aren't you Toni?"

"Not right now I'm not." Toni said flatly, peeking around her father.

"Toni!"

"I just mean that I don't want to be a bother." She added quickly, trying not to appear rude. "I know you're busy…"

"Yes, well it's a noble history indeed. The McAshton's have ruled this country since time…immemorial. Is everything alright?"

"Sorry? Oh! Oh yes, everything is fine." She said, hoping he wouldn't hear the strain in her voice. "It's just…you appear to have a visitor." She said, nodding past him. Lord McAshton turned and spotted Rookery, who'd climbed down from his truck and now stood before the grill with a smug look.

"You'll have to excuse me." the older man said, sounding surprisingly angry. Toni bit her lip and watched him leave…

Bob frowned, turning to get to his own work. "Toni, you stay away from that guy, he's crazy. If he comes anywhere near you…" he looked down at his daughter, only to find out that she wasn't there. "Toni?"

Toni was currently sneaking around the opposite side of the truck in order to eavesdrop on Rookery and McAshton. Whatever he was here for, it couldn't be good.

"I told you not to come back here unless-"

Rookery interrupted the older man, still looking very smug behind his serious gaze. "Unless is exactly what's happened, my Lord." He added a slightly sarcastic bow for good measure. He turned and went to a hatch in the side of his truck, opening it and sliding out a tray. On it lay a twitching body bag. Rookery unzipped it, revealing a goofy looking man who hissed at the sunlight, making Lord McAshton jump in surprise. Rookery zipped it back up, and Toni sighed. It appeared he'd gotten his vampire for proof.

"Not the kind of holes that are good for the golf business, eh my Lord? A biting, right here in McAshton land. And there will be more…unless we come to some arrangement." He assured the man, sliding the tray back into the belly of the truck and closing up the hatch.

"It's Elizabeth…" McAshton murmured, trembling with fright. "And her demon lover, isn't it? They've returned?"

"I told you you had worries." Rookery said, sounding even more smug than before.

"What is it you want from me?" the old man asked.

"My fee."

"Done."

"And knowledge."

"Come in."

The two turned and marched right towards the house and Toni ducked low, following them as she dodged from hiding place to hiding place, using planters and bushes for cover. She slipped in through the open front door and looked around to make sure she was alone. Thankfully, the maids were busy working elsewhere. Now…where had Rookery and McAshton gone?

Her answer came from the distinct clomping of Rookery's steel toed boots, echoing from the upper floor. Toni ran forward up the grand marble stairs, not making a sound as she followed them. She found the men entering a room that seemed to have no purpose other than housing old paintings. They were probably storing the art here to keep it safe amidst the construction.

McAshton hurried to one of the many pictures hanging on the wall, pointing at it. Toni inched forward to crouch by the door frame to see and had to hide a gasp. It was the girl in her vision! The exact girl! And around her neck, hanging from a gold chain, was the stone she'd dreamt about.

"Our ancestor, Elizabeth McAshton."

Rookery stepped forward and his eyes widened. "The Stone of Attamon…" he said softly. Toni frowned. It…sounded as if the man wanted the stone himself. But what would he need it for?

"My grandfather told me the legend." McAshton went on. "He said it was to die with me."

"Could still happen." Rookery pointed out with an amused glance.

"She…she saw a ship, foundered upon the rocks…though there had been no storm. No sign of life, no crew…save one, who crawled ashore, injured… But he was no mortal man."

"His name was Von." Rookery told him. "Von Sackville-Bagge. A vampire."

"Well, Elizabeth was taken by this…Von, and became one of the undead herself."

"Then what?"

"Our own family staked her! And Von!"

"Warm hearted bunch, aren't you?" Rookery said in a sarcastic voice. For once, Toni was inclined to agree with him.

McAshton looked affronted. "You of all people should understand-"

"I'm joking, My Lord, I would've done the same myself." Rookery told him dryly. So much for agreeing with the guy… "So where is she buried?"

"Why?"

"Like you said, we want to know if she's walking around. If I were a McAshton, I wouldn't want her looking for me." Rookery gave the Lord a dark look. "How do you like your Stake, my Lord?"

McAshton seemed too frightened for words for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll take you there myself."

"Good, I just need to get some supplies from my truck." Rookery said, leading the way to the door. Toni scrambled away, turning into a random room to hide as the two men descended the stairs once more.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

Toni shot to her feet and spun, almost falling over. She saw three or four maids cleaning up around the fancy room and gave them a weak smile.

"I'm fine, thanks. Lovely house." she said, before leaving in a hurry.

The men would lead her right to Elizabeth's tomb, where the stone must be! Maybe Rookery's appearance today had been just what she'd needed after all.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Apparently people's least favorite classes tend to be boring ones! Science and math especially, lol. And it brings me to a new question...how old are you guys? I'm not trying to be a stalker, I'm just seeing what audience tends to enjoy my writing most ^^_

_And for fun, how old do you think I am? ;) Please let me know what you think of the chapter while you guess!_

_Your Mischievious Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Toni watched from behind a couch as Rookery went out to his truck to get a few things. He returned to the main house carrying all sorts of strange tools he apparently needed. Hammers, a light stand, a saw... McAshton led him through the house, Toni following them carefully. They left through a back door and walked across a very large lawn. It was big enough to be a soccer field! If she liked the McAshton boys, she may have to come over more often. She ducked down and waited, not wanting the men to turn and see her.

As they walked through an arch in the hedge and turned left, Toni sprinted from her hiding place across the lawn after them. She was about to slide right through the archway when she ran right into Nigel and Flint.

For a moment, she felt the desire to flee, then remembered that the boys were the scared ones these days. As they stiffened in fright, she smirked.

"You're in my way, boys."

"We're sorry…" Nigel said weakly, snapping his mouth shut when Toni raised a single finger. She mentally laughed at the absurdity of the situation, knowing that she hardly appeared to be a frightening figure in her bright blue t-shirt and too large jacket.

"Now then…I want you two to crawl back to your room, get under the bed…and stay there." She said, her voice as low and threatening as she could make it.

"Y-yes, mistress." Flint stuttered, as the two boys inched around her, before walking stiffly back towards the house.

"I said crawl!" she called after the, hiding giggles as they each dropped to their knees on the grass and actually crawled along. "Too priceless." She said to herself, savoring the moment before turning and getting back to the business at hand.

She hurried through the archway and turned left, jogging down the corridor the two tall hedges created. She skidded to a stop at the end of it, looking left and the right. Left there was only more tunnels in the bushes. To the right, was a great pyramid shaped mausoleum, and Rookery and McAshton were walking right up to the door.

As Toni slipped closer, hiding behind weeds and trees, she heard Lord McAshton struggling with the key. Rookery, ever the impatient one, finally stepped forward.

"Allow me, my Lord. I'm an expert." He said tersely. McAshton stepped back, leaving the key in the door for the larger man. Rookery ignored it however, simply kicking in the door. "All part of the service." He announced, leading the way inside.

Toni crept forward and through the door, the stone around her immediately plunging her into the damp cold of the tomb. She shivered and pulled her coat close, tiptoeing along. The main corridor was lined with nameplates for everyone who was buried here. There were so many of them that Toni knew this place must be a maze by now. It would be impossible to find Elizabeth's tomb without the aid of McAshton's knowledge. She followed the sounds of their footsteps for a while, which eventually stopped and turned to the sounds of a saw on stone. Still trying to stay quiet, Toni followed the sound to a doorway, steps leading downwards. That was no good, she wouldn't be able to see anything from the same level…

She looked to her left and spotted another doorway, this one brighter. She peeked through and smiled. Perfect. A stone catwalk circled the large chamber, the floor of it about fifteen feet below. Small windows lining the top of the wall allowed the sunlight in. In the center of the floor below her sat a large stone coffin, which Rookery was currently trying to get open by sawing through the seal. Toni moved out onto the catwalk and knelt low in the shadows, leaning against the iron railing so she could watch from her perfect vantage point.

Rookery finally finished with the saw and set it aside, shoving a hammer and wooden stake into Lord McAshton's trembling hands. Toni held back a snort. If there was a vampire trapped in the tomb, they'd be far too weak to attack anyone.

Rookery shoved at the sarcophagus lid, opening the stone box to the light. Toni leaned forward to see, blinking in confusion.

It was empty.

"She was moved." Rookery explained to the trembling old man beside him.

"But no one's been down here since Mother died."

Rookery reached into the tomb, picking up what looked like a clove of garlic. With a gentle squeeze, the clove exploded into dust. "I'm talking centuries ago, my Lord." Rookery said. He stood back enough to Toni could see the bottom of the coffin, where a mound of garlic cloves sat in the middle of a sand pentagram. "And judging from what I see, this tomb is just here for show. She's in an unmarked grave, wrapped in chains with a wooden stake through her ribs."

He leaned down again and picked up what Toni thought was a ring. She stood up and leaned over the railing to see it better. "They stripped her of anything bearing the family name. The coffin purified."

"Why?" McAshton asked, entirely confused.

"Well do you really want your mum buried next to a vampire?"

"No! No no, I loved Mother! She always smelled of gardenias." Toni hid a snort, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous man.

"Oh shut up." Rookery snapped, circling the tomb as he thought out loud. "They'd rebury her in unhallowed ground, probably outside of the churchyard walls."

"That's acres worth of land!" McAshton exclaimed. Toni let a silent sigh escape, resting her elbows on the railing. He was right…how would they ever find the grave in time?

"That's why I-"

Toni never found out what Rookery did, as the iron railing she leaned on scraped free of the wall and bent forward, sending her falling. She managed to grab hold of the railing without a sound, wincing as the sharp iron cut into her hands. She breathed long and slow, trying to stay quiet and fight the urge to let go or at least whimper at the pain.

But it didn't matter. Her hands were growing slippery with her own blood, and she finally lost her grip, falling the distance to the coffin below. She landed on the lid and toppled forward, exploding the garlic cloves as she landed before the two men with a twump.

"Good lord!" McAshton exclaimed as the two jumped backwards. Toni winced and pushed herself up onto her elbows, hoping to escape before they recovered. But Rookery was too fast, grabbing her before she could get away.

"The little vampire sympathizer!" he growled, shaking her. Toni struggled to get free of his grip, eventually biting his arm to make him let go. In an automatic reaction, he shoved her backwards, and she hit her head on the coffin lid before falling into the stone box in a daze.

"Oh…you've made your bed, now sleep in it!" she heard Rookery growl. She blinked furiously, trying to make the world stop spinning, as Rookery shoved the coffin lid back into place. Soon, only a tiny slit was left.

"No!" she finally screamed when she'd come to her senses. "No, let me out!"

"You…you can't so that. It's murder! She's just a child, Thomspon's girl." Lord McAshtom protested.

"She's one of them." Rookery replied in his grating voice. "I've seen them all together, slithering in the night."

"I…I must tell Bob, he'll-" his words choked off and Rookery spoke in a low dangerous voice.

"There's more than one way to get your throat punctured, my Lord. Don't make me be the one." He threatened.

Lord McAshton cracked. "All right. I'll do anything. Just tell me what to do."

"That's better. Now go away and remember…" he mimed zipping his lips, his glare enforcing the message for the old man to keep his mouth shut.

McAshton nodded and moved away, only sparing a single glance at the casket where Toni was trapped before hurrying off. Rookery's face filled the open crack a moment later, an evil smile twisting his face.

"Enjoy, girly. It's your tomb now." He chuckled, sliding the lid into place and trapping her for good.

"No!" Toni screamed, banging on the stone walls. She tried to push the stone lid off, but it was no use. She wasn't strong enough. If only Rudolf was here…he wouldn't have any trouble with the thing.

She closed her eyes rather than face the darkness, creating the illusion that she at least had a little control over the light in here. She took a long deep breath, focusing on keeping herself calm. She moved herself into a more comfortable position, wincing as dust and grit got into the fresh cuts on her palms.

"Right Toni, focus. Panicking won't do you any good." she told herself, unthinkingly reaching up to grab the silver twist that hung around her neck.

Wait…what was it Rudolf had said? _"__No matter what's happened or where you are, I'll be able to hear it."_

Well…it was worth a try. Toni took a deep breath and released it in a whistle, hearing the strange echoing in her mind alongside the weak, muffled version that came with whistling in an airtight tomb.

"This is crazy." She whispered to herself, but shook her head. It was also her only hope.

She took a deep breath and whistled again.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Lol, apparently i'm really young! Most of you guessed 16, 17 and 18. I'm actually 22 years old =P yeah I know, i'm an old fart =P_

_Danger danger! Adventure and excitement! yay for the exciting part of the story :D Right then, i'm off to hang out with people. I'm not going to be at home on the internet on a Friday night, it's a miracle! Please review and let me know what you think of the chapter!  
_

_Your Excited Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Gregory wiggled like crazy in the basket his parents had deemed to be his bed. Just a little further….ah ha! With a sickening crack, his shoulder dislocated and he was able to twist the arms of the straight jacket over his head. He jerked his arm back into place with another crack, and pushed the wire muzzle up and off of his head. Using his teeth to undo the buckles on the sleeve straps, he set up, nudging the basket's lid up with his head.

He dropped the straight jacket into the basket as he climbed out, his smile a bit feral. Now then, a day of freedom…what would he do?

His eyes landed on his father, who lay grey skinned in his makeshift bed. Even thinking about the man made his lips curl in disapproval. Such a weakling…a fraud, a failure. The man was supposed to be a leader of vampires. Humans still believed they were the top of the food chain, that they were the superior race. But they were wrong…and Frederick still refused to show them that.

In Gregory's mind, it was an embarrassment.

Without really thinking, he strode over to the sick man and unclasped the amulet from around his neck. His symbol of power, hmm? Well the man had no real power…it deserved to be in the hands of someone who was willing to grasp it in both hands.

The boy crept away, moving silently through the cellar and up the stairs, listening to Toni's mother humming in the kitchen. Gregory licked his lips, knowing the woman wouldn't stand a chance if he were to attack.

Still…Toni had done nothing but help his family, he supposed he'd let her mother go free.

He heard a gentle bell ringing and pressed his ear to the wood of the door, hearing Dottie pass and open the front door.

"Hello."

"Hiya Mrs. Thompson!" a familiar energetic voice replied. "I'm Kady, a friend of Toni's from school?" Kady? Here?

"Oh! Yes, Toni's mentioned you! Actually, I'm afraid Toni isn't here right now…"

"Oh! That's alright, I just figured I'd stop by and say hello." The girl said. Gregory smiled and stepped back, running to the outside cellar door and creeping through. Kady…he'd been wondering how he'd get to her in the daylight. It looked like she'd come to him.

He was leaning against the wall around the corner when the girl stepped away from the house, ginning when she noticed him.

"Gregory!" the girl said in surprise, coming over to join him. "What are you doing here? Not trying to stalk Toni, are you?"

He snorted. "Hardly. No reason to stalk the girl my brother is so very interested in."

Kady had to smile, nodding to herself. "I knew it. They're both so obvious! So why are you here?"

"I came by to borrow Toni's football." Gregory invented with a shrug. "But finding you is much more exciting. Why are you here?"

"Just came to see if Toni wanted to hang out some more. But her mom said she's out with her dad today."

"Oh…pity. Then I have nothing to do."

Kady grinned. "Care to come with me? I'm sure there must be something the two of us could come up with in this bland countryside."

Gregory smiled. "I can't think of anything better."

Kady led her way to her old beat up car, heavily tinted windows making the boy breathe a sigh of relief. They started talking with ease, as if they hadn't spent any time apart. Kady was having the time of her life.

Unlike most of the boys here, Gregory wasn't a country bum. The only exceptions were the McAshton boys, and they were stuck up snots. Kady wanted nothing to do with them. Gregory had a vocabulary, he had the ambition, and best of all, he had the looks of the kind of guys she liked. Unlike Rudolf, Gregory seemed proud to be so different. His hair was spiked and dyed purples and reds, much like her own hot pink stripes. He wore clothes were beat up and well worn, but all had a punk edge to them. Her own t-shirt was artfully slashed along the sleeves and laced up the sides, revealing tantalizing glimpses of her red bra. In all honesty…she couldn't believe her luck at finding such a fun guy in a place like this.

"Where are we?" he finally asked as she turned off the main road.

"Oh…just a fun little pond." She said vaguely, driving her car down a winding dirt path into the trees. Once fully in the trees, she parked and hopped out, smirking back at him as he climbed from his seat. "It's the perfect place for a swim…when you don't want to be bothered." She teased, before spinning and plunging into the trees.

She led the way through the brush, running and leaping across fallen logs and tattered bushes. Gregory kept up as if it took no effort at all, chuckling behind her and making her laugh as well. The pond appeared out of the shadowy forests in an instant, and she stopped short on a rock overlooking it. Sitting about six feet down, the water was deep enough to dive in.

But…not wearing quite so many clothes. Kady didn't hesitate to unzip her black jeans and slip them off, her shirt soon following. Wearing nothing but her blood red bra and underwear, she quickly jumped in, letting the cool water close over her head.

She surfaced and looked up, chuckling at the dazed look on her companion's face. "Coming Gregory?" she taunted, swimming backwards and out of the way.

He smirked and proceeded to strip right down to his boxers, diving in without a moment's hesitation. Kady laughed at the resulting splash, wiping water from her face as she waited for the boy to come up for air.

But…he wasn't coming. She frowned and turned in a circle, treading water with ease. "Gregory?" she asked, glaring about her as if he might be invisible. "Where are you?"

A hand on her ankle made her gasp, just enough time to catch a breath before she was pulled under. She opened her eyes in the clear pond, glaring at Gregory who only smirked back.

She didn't have much reason to complain though; as he pulled her near and pressed his lips to hers, all thoughts fled from the girl's mind entirely. Who needed to think about revenge when the hottest guy in town was kissing your breath away?

About an hour later, the pair lay on a large flat rock, still warm from the sun. Kady yawned and rolled over, resting her head on his shoulder and throwing her arm across his chest. She blinked and looked down, really seeing the amulet around his neck for the first time.

"What's this?" she asked, fingers brushing the cool metal as she glanced up at him.

"It's my father's." Gregory said, bitterness in his voice. "He doesn't deserve it."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a symbol…in our family." He said vaguely, not wanting to explain the whole vampire thing. "It belongs to the leader. He doesn't deserve it."

"Why not?" She lay her head back down, lifting the amulet to look at it. "Has he been a bad leader or something?" Gregory could hear the slightly amused tone in her voice, but didn't point it out. In this day and age, he doubted they looked at leaders the same way his family did. The way his clan did.

"A leader is supposed to step up and take charge. My father doesn't do either of those things."

The girl shrugged, and he felt her eyelashes on his skin as she closed her eyes. "Perhaps you're not seeing all the sides. After all, being a leader doesn't always mean doing the fiercest action. Sometimes it means knowing when to not do anything."

Gregory frowned. Her words made a frightening amount of sense for someone who didn't have a clue the true extent of the situation. "But why? No one gets anywhere if someone doesn't do something."

She shook her head. "Not always…sometimes waiting and biding your time is best. Doing nothing isn't much help, but one can still be productive even when they're not doing the most obvious action."

Gregory watched the leaves above him as the danced in the slight breeze. "Tonight…there's a gathering of…close friends. My father won't be able to do anything without this." He said softly, brushing the amulet and her fingers in the process.

She smiled and released the piece to lace her fingers with his instead. "And your father…maybe he hasn't done what you believe to be right…but has he been aiming for the good of your family? Of your group of friends?"

"Yes." Gregory realized. "Yes he has."

"Then it sounds like he's a good leader after all." She pointed out.

The vampire closed his eyes and pulled the girl a bit closer to his side. "Maybe you're right." He whispered.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_I'm soooo sorry this is so late! But this is a new chapter I wrote tonight, so I do have a little bit of an excuse! Gregory and Kady don't have much more in the story, so I figured they deserved a little fun =P_

_Yes, I'm leaving poor Toni trapped in the sarcophagus! Tomorrow (er...later today) you'll find out what happens next with her :D_

_Your Evil Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

In the cellar of Toni's house, Rudolf slept peacefully in an old trunk. A soft, lovely sound reached his ears, practically making them twitch in interest. Slowly, his eyes opened and he focused, sitting up and pushing the trunk lid open to hear better.

It was a whistle. Toni's whistle! He focused and realized that the sound was in his mind, not the air around him. Even through the faint connection, he could feel a slight hint of fear. If she was scared enough that he could feel it through the whistle, then she really must be terrified.

Rudolf didn't hesitate to climb out of the trunk. Toni needed help, and he was the only one who even knew it.

"What is it?" Rudolf spun to see his sister poking her blond head from behind the curtain around her chosen bed.

"Toni's calling." He replied in a whisper.

"Perhaps she found the stone." The girl said. Rudolf didn't argue, not wanting to crush her hopes. But he knew that wasn't the case…if she had the stone, why would she feel so frightened? "Are you going to her?"

"Yes."

"I'm coming too!"

"What? No, Anna, it's too-"

"Don't tell me it's too dangerous, I'm a vampire." The girl said, climbing to her feet and putting her hands on her hips. She looked just like her mother, and Rudy knew she was just as likely to argue until she got her way.

"Alright fine. Come on."

"But…the daylight." She said, pointing at the cellar door.

"Daylight or not, we must go." Rudy told her, weaving around piles of junk. "Now stay quiet, or you'll wake the others." He added, leading the way from the cellar. The pair circled the house, staying in the shadows as they searched for a way they could leave without being burned by the sun. Before they could make it to the shed across the courtyard, Rudolf heard the automobile coming. "Quick, get back!" he ordered his sister, the pair hiding around the corner from the front door.

"Toni?" Bob shouted, slamming the car door. "Toni!"

"She's not here." Dottie said, leaning against the door frame as she wiped her hands on a towel. "I thought she was with you?"

"Well, she was! And then she was gone and I couldn't find her. It's been hours, I figured she came back here out of boredom."

"I haven't seen her."

"Oh…great. First she leaves that dance to go play soccer in the middle of nowhere, and now she's taking off without even a warning? I am going to bust her butt when she gets home."

"You should do something!" Anna whispered to her brother, making him frown. "She'll get in trouble!"

Rudolf sighed and looked around, spotting Toni's soccer ball beside the rose bush. He grinned and grabbed it, strolling around the house corner, casually staying out of the direct sunlight.

"Oh, hello! You must be Toni's parents. I'm Rudy." He said, remembering at the last minute that Toni had never given them his full name. He held out a hand with his most charming smile, and Bob shook it. The boy was distantly glad he'd stolen those clothes from the McAshton brothers. His new white t-shirt and red button down shirt looked much better than his old tattered ones, and made up for the state of his long coat.

"It's nice to finally meet you… What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"Bob!"

"It's alright, Mrs. Thompson, he's got a point." Rudolf said with a shrug. "Toni is at…school. They have a nice football field there. Or…soccer, as you know it. She asked me to bring her ball since she'd forgotten it. It's on my way."

"Oh! Well, in that case, you better go meet her." Dottie said with a smile.

"And tell her that she better be home for supper." Bob added in a grumble.

"I'll be sure to pass on the message." Rudolf promised. "Goodbye!" he walked past them and around the next house corner, carefully staying in the shadows as he listened for the two to leave.

"Well…at least we've finally met him." Bob said.

"I thought he was nice. Very polite."

"Yeah…I suppose I won't be too hard on Toni later. The McAshton family history can't be that interesting, and I suppose I'm glad that she's with a friend rather than obsessing about vampires."

"Amen, husband of mine." Dottie said. "Also, this means we've got the whole afternoon alone."

"Hmm…I like this Rudy kid already."

"His parents want to have us for dinner." Dottie said, leading Bob inside and shutting the front door.

Rudolf hurried across the courtyard, Anna following him to the large storage shed. Inside, they found tin foil, old blankets, and even an umbrella and a knight's helmet they could use. Once they were all wrapped up, Anna sighed.

"We look ridiculous." She complained.

"You'll have to bear with the shame, we've no other options. Come on, let's go."

The pair made their way to the McAshton house as quickly as they could. They were forced to follow the roads as they couldn't climb up and down embankments of streams or stone walls. They couldn't even fly since they couldn't risk being seen.

They reached the main house as the sun started to set, leaving the land full of long shadows they could easily remain in.

"How will we find her?" Anna asked as they shed their many protections.

Rudolf shook his head, not really knowing. He hadn't heard a whistle in a long while…finally, he spotted something that made him grin. "I have an idea of who to ask." He said, striding along in the shadows as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

Nigel and Flint McAshton sat on a bench, looking dejected, angry, and a little bit scared. Toni had obviously been here.

"Evening, gents." He said as he strolled up behind a bench, where Nigel and Flint sat. They spun in fright and Nigel almost fell right off the bench. "I don't suppose you've seen Toni lately?"

"Not for a while." Flint said quickly, swallowing. "She…she didn't say how long we had to stay under our beds." He added, trying to be tough.

"Didn't think to ask though, did you?" Rudolf said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Under their beds? Toni had told them to hide under their beds? He wished he could have seen that. "Now then, tell me where she went, or I'll be forced to let my sister get to know you better."

The girl appeared behind him with a smile, waggling her fingers at the boys and smiling wide enough to show off her long canines.

"That way." The boys said at the same time, pointing at a large arch cut in a hedge. "She went through there and left. I don't know why, all that's back there is the mausoleum."

"You don't really want to know." Rudolf told them in a dark voice. "Now go on, shoo."

The boys hopped up and hurried away, shooting dark looks over their shoulders as they went. It appeared their defiance was growing stronger than their fear. Rudolf hoped Toni would be able to handle them once he was human and couldn't help her any more.

He led the way through the arch as if he had all the time in the world, but the moment they were around the corner he took off running.

"Hey! Rudolf, wait!" Anna protested, shorter legs trying to keep up.

"There's no time!" the boy informed her, skidding to a stop at the end of the path, and running for the mausoleum. "I have a bad feeling that Toni's in big trouble."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Well...I only got one review for the last chapter, but I figure that's my own fault seeing how late it got posted . So I went ahead and posted this one! Apparently they didn't reach Toni in this chapter...so you'll have to wait for tomorrow to find out what's happened :D_

_I do love being evil to you all, it's fun XD_

_Your Grinning Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Rudolf took a deep breath as he and his sister entered the tomb, noting the broken door in the back of his mind. Aside from the comforting dank smell all mausoleums had, he could smell a light vanilla scent, something he'd grown to associate with Toni. She'd been here, that was certain. He followed his nose out onto a catwalk, where the iron railing had bent and twisted out over the tall room.

Along with vanilla, he smelled fear. Toni's fear. He leapt down to the lower level and sniffed again. She was near. He could smell her, but where was she? His eyes landed on the sarcophagus and he groaned as an idea entered his mind. "Oh no…please not this." He whispered, hurrying to the side of the stone coffin.

He grunted and pushed at the lid, carved from solid rock. He lifted and pushed, finally managing to get it open. And there, curled in a ball in the middle of her stone prison, was Toni.

Anna gasped as he lifted the girl from inside the coffin, moving forward and wanting to help. "She's…not breathing." She whispered, brushing dust from the girl's clothes and hair.

Rudolf sank to the floor, holding Toni in his arms. It hurt more than anything he'd ever felt when her hand fell limply from her waist to land on the floor. "Toni?" he whispered, brushing hair from her face where it had pulled free of her braid. "Toni, come on, you need to breath…"

Rudolf and Anna watched the too-still girl, her pale skin almost a match for their own. Then…finally, she took a very long, very slow breath, coughing lightly before taking a second one. Rudolf exercised all his will power to keep from hugging her so tight that she'd be unable to breathe again.

"Toni?"

"Rudy?" she croaked, dry lips parting in a faint whisper. Her eyes blinked open soon after, the green orbs bleary after her unconscious state.

"I'm here." He promised, helping her to sit up straighter. "I'm here, you're alright."

Toni looked around as she took deep breaths, shivering as her memory returned. She turned to hide her face in his shirt, and he gently rubbed her arm.

"It was Rookery." She finally told him. Rudolf nodded, anger swiftly building up in his unbeating heart. If he had a chance, Rookery would pay for this.

"Why were you here?" he asked her. "In a mausoleum of all places."

"Elizabeth." Toni said, sitting up as her strength returned. "This was her tomb." She tried to push herself upright and winced as she pressed her cuts to the stone floor.

Rudolf didn't hesitate to pull a handkerchief from his pocket, tearing it up and using it to clean her hands. By now they'd scabbed over somewhat, but even so Anna was forced to back away from the scent of blood. He worked on cleaning Toni's cuts and kept talking to distract her from the pain.

"Elizabeth? Who's that?"

"She's the last holder of the stone. The one in the vision your Dad and I saw. Her name was Elizabeth McAshton, and Von turned her into a vampire. She wore the stone on a necklace." Toni's voice was still breathless, but seemed to be growing stronger.

"She did? Really?" Rudolf frowned.

Toni nodded. "Lord McAshton said his own family staked her, then buried her here."

"But… this coffin is empty." Rudolf pointed out.

"I know." Toni said with a slightly wry grin as he wrapped each of her hands with clean scraps of his handkerchief. "Rookery said she was moved, and reburied somewhere outside the church ground."

"That's a lot of land." Anna said with a frustrated sigh. She brightened almost immediately as she hopped to her feet. "I wrote a poem though, about you two! Have a listen!"

The girl climbed onto a pedestal and started to recite. "Her face he saw in the cemetery, filled with fright; for the night was scary…" But Toni wasn't paying an ounce of attention, too focused to allow the girl's amusing words to distract her.

"I did find something though." She said, getting to her feet. She leaned over the edge of the coffin, almost falling in again with a squeak. Rudolf caught her and pulled back onto her feet, seeing the roll of fabric in her hand.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I couldn't see in there, and I didn't want to risk damaging it by trying to open it in the dark." She said softly, setting the roll on the coffin lid. "It's really really old though, and my hands are too stiff."

Rudolf got the hint and moved to her side, carefully unrolling the bit of fabric, wincing every time it tore or crumbled at the edges.

"It looks like…instructions. For a sand pentagram and garlic and such."

"That's what was here when Rookery opened the sarcophagus." Toni told him with a sigh. "That doesn't help us any."

"Maybe not…but the map underneath does." Rudolf said, pointing at the faint lines on the cloth. "It's a map of the tomb!"

"This tomb?" Toni whirled and looked, matching the objects in the room with the scribbles on the map. "Look." She whispered, pointing at a wavy line that didn't match. "There was a tunnel. In that wall." She turned and looked at the only empty wall in the room. "They must have covered it up after they moved Elizabeth!"

She and Rudolf hurried over to the thick stone wall, knowing now that it held the key to finding Elizabeth and the stone.

"Can you break it?" she asked him, earning a grin in return.

"Watch me." he said, pulling back a fist and punching the wall. Toni would have bruised or broken her hand if she'd tried such a thing, but with Rudolf's strength and power, the brick he'd hit shattered, slipping through a new hole.

"Quick, let's make it bigger." Toni said, helping him to push at the bricks in the wall, letting them fall to the floor on the other side. Soon, a large opening sat in the wall, revealing a tunnel behind it. "We did it!" she said happily as Rudolf climbed through.

"We're so close to finding the stone." Rudolf said as he turned to help her climb through. "I can feel it!"

"I hope you can." Toni said with a grimace. "I can't see a thing."

"I can see just fine." The boy said. Toni snorted and took his hand.

"That's because you're a creature of the night and I'm not." She said, her voice light.

Despite her confidence, she was terrified to go down that hallway. She wasn't sure she'd ever be alright in the dark again, not to mention small spaces. This tunnel was both, and it scared her silly. She wondered if she still had that old night light of hers somewhere…she had a feeling she'd need it.

"Toni? Maybe you should stay here." Rudolf suggested, sensing her change in attitude. Toni shook her head firmly.

"No way. I started this, and I'm going to help finish it. It's my job to find the stone." She reminded him in a firm voice. "Just…don't leave me." she added with a wince.

He smiled down at her in the dim light. "I won't, I promise. Come on then."

He led her down the tunnel, which was soon pitch black. Behind them they heard a disgruntled "Hey!" as Anna realized they'd gone.

"Were either of you even listening?" she demanded once she'd caught up to them.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It was great. I think." Toni said quickly, knowing Rudolf was likely smirking in the dark.

Anna didn't notice, sounding very smug as she went on. "I was to play Juliet you know. But Shakespeare thought me too young."

"Sisters." Rudolf said, sounding only the way an older brother could. Toni was chuckling with amusement before the statement sank into her mind.

"Wait…you've met Shakespeare?"

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Yay for the rescue! I should probably apologize for making you wait so long...but that would require feeling guilty. Which I don't XD _

_Shakespeare fun! If you guys could meet anyone in History, who would you pick?_

_Your Curious Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Rudolf led the way along the winding tunnel. The stone passage had long since given way to dirt and rock. Thankfully, the boy was able to see well enough to give Toni warning when she'd need to climb over a rock or duck to avoid an old support beam.

Before long, Toni's fingers were brushing roots as she followed the wall. When another one brushed her other side, she jumped, but smiled.

"We must be near the cemetery." She told the others. The cemetery was full of creepy old trees and such, they had to be getting close with so many roots hanging about.

"I agree." Rudolf said, a moment before he pulled back, gasping in pain.

"What? What is it?" Toni asked when Anna did the same thing.

"Something ahead…" Rudolf whispered, clutching his chest.

"Something accursed." Anna said, sounding breathless. "You'll have to go on without us."

"Oh…" Toni said in a weak voice. She cleared her throat and threw back her shoulders. "Right, I'll…go see what it is."

She released Rudolf hand and took a cautious step forward, her fingers brushing the wall to keep her from running into it. She walked along for a few minutes, and then realized that she could actually see the roots she was dodging, and the piles of rocks she stepped over. Just faint outlines, but it was better than nothing.

She soon stepped out into a larger cavern and smiled. A corner of it had crumbled in, and the moonlight streamed through the hole to light up the room. And in the center of it, sat an enormous coffin.

"We found it!" she called back to the vampire siblings. "This is it, Elizabeth coffin! It's gotta be!" She hurried down and climbed up onto the platform the sarcophagus sat upon, looking down at it. The stone hadn't been carved and decorated like the one in the family tomb, and it was wrapped in chains which attached to a giant padlock on the top of the coffin.

Underneath the padlock, there was an inscription on the iron lock. "There's something written here." She called back, leaning in to read the words. "It says… 'Caveat Vamptor…'"

"Let the Vampire Beware." Rudolf called back. "That's the curse, it won't let us come any closer."

"Well…then we need to get rid of it." Toni said, grabbing a large rock as she got to work pounding on the chains in an effort to break them. It didn't take long for her to realize that it was hopeless.

"This is impossible." She grunted between poundings.

"Have courage, Toni!" Anna called. Toni grimaced but didn't say anything. All the courage in the world wouldn't help her get this done. She was exhausted and about ready to collapse after everything that had already happened today.

Finally, she managed to bang the rock on her pinky, and she promptly dropped it with a yelp, sucking on her finger. "Stupid chains." She complained with a sigh, seeing that all her work hadn't even dented a single link. "We need a miracle."

Just as she spoke the words, a trickle of dust fell before her eyes. She blinked in confusion and looked up, where something seemed to…breaking the ceiling. She jumped back with a gasp as the end of a drill suddenly broke through the cavern roof, dirt flying as it continued downwards.

"Oh no!" Rudolf exclaimed from where he stood a safe distance away. Toni had other ideas.

"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. She leaned forward and grabbed the padlock, adjusting it so it sat right under the drill. "Come on Rookery, do your worst!" she said with a laugh as she backed up.

The drill moved slowly down until it hit the padlock, twisting it into scrap metal along with the curse. And with the padlock broken, the chains were quickly wrapping around the giant drill bit, making it spark and smoke.

As the drill was pulled up and out of the way, Rudolf and Anna hurried over to help Tony pull the chains from the lid. Then, on the count of three, they pulled the stone aside, opening the coffin for the first time in three hundred years.

There lay Elizabeth, still quite pretty despite the dust on her face and hair. And beside her was the man she'd loved enough to die for.

"It's Elizabeth." She whispered.

"And Uncle Von! Father was right, he did come here." Rudolf said, grinning at his sister.

"Oh, how romantic!" Anna exclaimed, hands clasped over her heart. "Their love preserved forever."

Toni and Rudolf exchanged a look and a smile, Toni rolling her eyes slightly. She looked back down and reached in, carefully lifting the chain from the dead woman's throat. But it held no charm.

"The stone isn't here!" she said sadly, wilting against the side of the coffin. This had been their last hope. If the stone wasn't here, they'd never find it!

"I guess we'll have to-" Rudolf stopped as he heard a gasp and looked over in worry. Toni had frozen in place, her green eyes bleeding white as she was taken over by a vision.

Toni looked around as she woke in her vision, and realized that she was floating. Von and Elizabeth were right beside her, running for their lives. Toni didn't even have to make an effort, simply flying along at their speed. Neither of them looked very good…they needed a decent drink, she could tell.

Only a short distance behind them was a group of men and women, carrying torches and pitchforks and large wooden crosses. Toni slowed down to see them, and gasped when she recognized the leader. It looked exactly like Lord McAshton! Except much less blubbery and weak. This man was a hunter, and he had a different prey tonight.

"Elizabeth!" he shouted. "Stop, it's for your own good!"

Toni glared at him and turned, zooming up the hillside to catch up with Elizabeth and Von, where she noticed they were headed to an old castle. The castle that was now Toni's house!

The pair entered the courtyard where Von stopped and faced her. "Go. Get away from here, you must be safe!"

"No!" Elizabeth protested angrily. "I'm not leaving you to die."

Von pulled her against him and kissed her so passionately that Toni felt herself blush. "Go, my love. They must not get the stone."

Elizabeth hesitated and then finally nodded, tears in her eyes as she kissed him one last time. "I love you." She whispered, before turning and running to the house.

Toni turned and followed Elizabeth through her own front door. She didn't want to see the hunters kill the brave Von. She couldn't bare it.

Elizabeth ran through the house, up the stairs and right to the tallest room of the tower. Toni's bedroom. Toni expected her to go straight to the window and fly away to safety, but instead she stopped, closing the door behind her and looking around.

She stepped on a loose board in the floor and gasped, kneeling and lifting it free. She then yanked the stone from the chain around her neck, quickly wrapping it in a lace handkerchief.

"Oh come on…you have to go!" Toni shouted at her, not caring that this was a memory she couldn't change. She already knew this was the night they killed the poor girl, but she wished it wasn't. She wished there was something she could do.

Elizabeth couldn't hear her, and stuffed the handkerchief wrapped stone into her beaded belt purse, hiding it under the floor. She'd just replaced the board when the men came in, and she gasped, backing away in terror.

"No!" Toni screamed, throwing herself out of the vision just before the creepy McAshton guy stabbed the stake through her heart.

"Toni!" Rudolf said, catching her as she fell backwards. "Toni, what happened?"

The girl was in tears, shaking her head. "They killed her!" she whispered through her sobs, trembling. "They…they were after them. Von and Elizabeth. Von made her leave and they killed him, and then they killed her too!"

Rudolf hushed her, holding her close. "It's alright, Toni, it's long over." He whispered, looking sadly at the double coffin.

Toni pushed away from him, wiping her tears away as triumph overcame the sadness. "She hid the stone, it's in my room! It all makes sense, that's why I've been having the dreams!"

Rudolf laughed and hugged her again, setting her on her feet. "Toni, you're amazing. Let's go!"

The trio started to climb through the hole in the cavern's corner, pushing aside the many bushes and brambles that had kept it hidden for so many years. Then, Rudolf and Anna froze, their heads tilted as if listening to something.

"What?" Toni asked, sitting on the edge of the hole. "What is it?"

"The call!" Anna said with a surprised smile.

"The vampires…we're all being called to the cliffs for the ceremony." Rudolf explained as he continued climbing, lifting his sister up behind him. "Anna, you go to the cliffs. Tell Mother and Father what's happened. Toni and I will go after the stone."

"Alright. Be safe!" the girl said, taking a running leap into the air and turning into a bat as she hurried away.

Rudolf turned to her with a smile, holding out a hand. "May I have this flight, my Lady?"

Toni grinned and took his hand, letting it grow as he lifted her from the ground. "With pleasure, good sir."

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Hurray for fun visions :D Now, on to find the stone!_

_You guys want to meet some interesting people! Or would if they were still alive =P Personally...I'd love to meet Hatshepsut, Ancient Egyptian History nerd that I am, lol._

_It's my favorite period of history, ancient Egypt :D What about you guys? Or is History only the obsessions of dorks like me? :D_

_Your Amused Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The flight was bitter sweet in every way possible in Toni's mind. Flying was always great fun, but this would be the last carefree flight she and Rudolf would ever share. And being with the vampire boy was still wonderful, but she knew it would all come to an end soon.

Rudolf seemed to feel the same, squeezing her hand much tighter than necessary to keep her afloat. She didn't mind. She was holding his just as tightly.

They arrived at the house all too soon, landing gracefully on the balcony. Toni ducked in through the window and slid to the other side of the room, flipping on the light.

"Where is it?" Rudolf asked as he climbed inside.

"Under the floor." Tony told him, grabbing a throw rug and shoving it out of the way.

"How do you know?" the boy asked her, moving her trunk away from the end of the bed.

"How do I know? Dude, I'm the vision girl, remember?" she looked around for something she could use to lift op the floorboards.

"No need to bite my head off." The boy teased.

"Biting is our job, mine is to find the amulet." She said, spotting her new golf clubs. She grabbed the thinnest one and slipped it through a crack in the floor, cheering as she was able to pull up one of the boards.

The pair dove down, digging through the hay and leaves that had been stuffed under the boards for insulation. Board after board was pulled up, and hay was tossed out of the way, making the room a mess. Toni couldn't care less, she could clean up later.

A light flashing through the room made Rudolf hiss and Toni gasp. "Rookery!" she said, running to the window. The man climbed out of his truck and looked up with an evil grin, swinging a crossbow onto his back and grabbing a sledgehammer. He started hitting the front door, and Toni knew it wouldn't be long before he broke through.

"What do we do?" she asked, spinning with frightened eyes.

"Keep searching." Rudolf told her, standing himself. He shut the bedroom door, and then got to work on pushing her heavy wardrobe in front of it. "There, that'll hold him off for a while."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Toni said, elbow deep in hay as she searched under the floor.

Only a short time later the banging stopped, and less than a minute after that, the door handle rattled behind the wardrobe.

"Oh kids, you've blocked the door." Rookery said with a chortle. Toni jumped when she heard his sledgehammer hit the door, knowing it wouldn't last long.

"Hurry Toni!" Rudolf suggested, pulling up more boards as the girl shifted through the contents underneath.

Finally, she felt something smooth and cool, and pulled it free of the hay. "I got it!" she whispered, pulling the handkerchief from the purse and unwrapping it. In the center of the delicate lace sat the amulet, the red gemstone glinting in a setting of pure gold.

"The stone of Attamon!" Rudolf said with a smile, watching her wrap it up. "Now quick, we need to-"

The door of the wardrobe flung itself open just then, Rookery climbing out. He'd smashed right through the bedroom door and the back of the oak wardrobe, and now whipped his UV cross out from behind him.

Rudolf hissed and flinched, forced back into the shadows of the fireplace. Meanwhile, Toni stuffed the purse into her jacket pocket, glaring at the man.

"Hand it over." He demanded.

"I don't think so!" she shot back, zipping the pocket closed.

"It belongs to me, girly, now give it!"

"You try and kill me and then you expect me to just hand it over? Give it up Gramps, I'm never going to stop fighting you!"

He simply shrugged. "And I can't be bothered." He swept forward, faster than Toni had been expecting, and tossed the girl over his shoulder. She screeched angrily and struggled, but only succeeded in getting a head rush from being held upside down.

He stomped to the window and broke it open, standing on the balcony. Toni gasped as he climbed up into one of the notches in the wall, tossing an inflatable thing down to the ground.

"Oh no." she groaned, a second before he jumped. Toni screamed in terror, only stopping when they landed, and only because the man's shoulder had knocked the breath right out of her lungs.

He tossed her into the truck and he slammed the door, latching it shut as if the thing had been designed for kidnapping. As Toni coughed and gasped for air, she crawled to the driver's side door, hoping to reach it before he did. She didn't make it, getting pushed back to the far side for her trouble.

"Toni!" She heard Rudolf shout as the truck growled its way to life.

"Rudy!" she screamed back, pressing her nose to the window as they drove away from her house and turned down the dark road.

"Oh shut up and hand me the stone." Rookery demanded, holding out a hand.

"No." she said flatly, huddling as close to the door as she could, and as far away from him.

He glanced over to glare at her and hit the horn. "Out of the way!" Toni blinked in confusion, looking to see what it was he was yelling at. A small group of cows was ambling along the dark road on their own, without a care in the world that a large truck was threatening to mow them down. She wondered why they weren't in the barn for the night, but Rookery only seemed to care that they were in his way.

He finally sped up and forced them off the road, turning back to her. "Now, give me the stone."

"No!"

"I said, give me the stone!" he grabbed her and pulled her over, one hand on the wheel while the other tried to find the purse.

"No! Don't you touch me!" she screeched. He found the pocket and unzipped it, pulling the purse away and tossing her back onto the seat.

"Oh shut up, we Vampire Hunters are honorable men."

"Yeah right. You're killing people who want to become human. How is that honorable?"

"They're killers, that's why. Not the innocents you think they are."

"Well they're not the beasts you think they are! Vampires aren't all evil anymore than all humans are good!" He simply smirked and she huffed in annoyance. "What do you need the stone for, anyway?"

"To send your friends straight to hell!"

Toni opened her mouth to argue, but then spotted something down the road. It was a cow…and it was floating. She watched with a growing smile as it was joined by others, the five they'd just forced off the road she'd bet. They hovered above the ground, eyes glowing red.

"Well, Mr. Vampire Hunter. Did you know that my friends only drink the blood of cows?"

"Do I care?"

"You might…when it means that those cows are now vampires too." She said, pointing. Rookery followed her gaze and frowned, slowing the truck to a stop.

"What the devil…?" he muttered, squinting at the distant figures. Toni grinned outright when a sixth figure came down behind the cows, a figure she instantly recognized as Rudolf.

"What do you want?" Rookery asked them quietly, eyeing the purse in his hand. He grinned and held it up. "You want this? Well come and get it." He said, slamming the bundle on the dashboard. Toni eyed it, but it was too far out of her reach…

Before she could come up with a plan, Rookery slammed on the gas pedal, making her slide back, pressed against the back of the seat. The man shouted a battle cry, fully confident in himself. The cows started to fly right at them, but Rookery didn't care. He was certain that he'd win this game of chicken.

One by one the cows flew by, but as Rookery had guessed, they were the ones to give in and turn. Except the last…that one decided to leave a parting gift. As the cow swooped past the windshield, a cow pattie slapped right across the glass, making Toni laugh aloud.

She distantly heard a laugh from Rudolf and eyed the purse again. Now…if only she could get her hands on it…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_We're nearing the end! There's only 4 chapters left! So close!_

_Your Slightly Sad Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Rookery was driving blind with the windshield being blocked by a bunch of smelly cow dung. He tried to get it off with the windshield wipers, but it only smeared it and made it worse. Toni was expecting the ride to get rough after that, and wasn't surprised when they went right off the road, crashing through a puny fence in the process.

It was only after that she remembered they were near the cliffs by the sea…and that they were likely driving right towards them. With that thought, her sense of urgency grew. She had to get the stone. Now.

As she gripped the seat and the door handle for dear life, she watched the beaded purse on the dashboard. With the rocking of the cab, the thing kept sliding back and forth, but it was slowly getting closer.

Toni winced as they crashed through the sign for the McAshton Estate's under construction golf course. Her father would not be happy about that… Even worse was the fact that the blimp, previously attached to the sign, was now being pulled long by the truck. Great.

"Toni, the lights!" she heard a distant shout. Rudolf…he couldn't come any nearer with the lights waving wildly about.

But before anything else could happen, she needed that bag! When the thing slid from the dashboard to the floor she took her chances and dove after it. Rookery growled and lifted her bodily back into her seat, and she struggled to keep it out of his reach.

"Toni, turn off the lights!"

The girl smirked and lifted her feet from the floor, kicking at dashboard. Buttons of all shapes and sizes were pressed, switches were switched. Toni didn't know what all she hit, but the next thing she knew, the lights had gone out.

"No!" Rookery shouted, trying to undo the damage she'd done.

"Toni!"

The girl looked up and there was Rudolf, perched on the roof of the cab and reaching through the open hatch. Toni grinned and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her upwards.

"Oh no you don't!" Rookery exclaimed, grabbing her free wrist. The wrist holding the beaded purse. She gasped and kicked at him angrily, shouting for him to let her go. He ignored it, letting go of the wheel entirely to lift his crossbow, pointing it up at her. She glared at him and dropped the bag, letting it fall into his lap. He laughed like a maniac as Rudolf pulled her free, just before the truck flew right off the edge of a cliff.

"Going…going…gone!" Toni said with a laugh, floating safely with Rudolf and watching as the blimp gently carried the truck right into the sea.

Rudolf laughed along with her, then turned their direction slightly. "The meeting point is just north of here. We'd…best go tell them the bad news."

Toni blinked at him in confusion, then remembered that Rookery still had the beaded purse. "Rudy…"

"It's not your fault Toni. You did everything you could. More than any of us should have asked for." He said quickly as he pulled her along.

Toni rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "But Rudolf-"

"I'll just tell Father it was my fault. He won't be angry with you. You did try and help us after all."

"Rudolf, will you just shut up? Rookery doesn't have the stone." she finally said with a laugh. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the amulet. "I do."

He stared at the amulet, then at her, and then back at the stone they'd been searching for for so long, slowing to a stop until they were hovering in the sky. "You've got it." He said in a dumbfounded voice. Toni laughed again and nodded, tucking the stone safely away and zipping the pocket shut. "But…the purse. What did Rookery get?"

Toni giggled and shrugged. "It seems that dead mice from the old country really do come in handy."

Rudolf burst out laughing and swung her into a hug, spinning her in midair. "Toni you're incredible!"

"Of course I am." She said in a matter-of-fact voice, hugging him back. She pulled away and smiled down at him, her elbows on his shoulders, and his arms around her waist, holding her up. "Haven't you figured that out yet?"

He chuckled and grinned. "I have never met a girl like you before."

"Not in nine hundred years?" she asked.

He smiled. "Not in nine hundred years." He whispered, and without warning pulled her into a kiss. Toni's teasingly confident words melted away in a sea of warm happiness, bubbling from her stomach to fill her up like a balloon. If her eyes weren't closed, she was certain that the whole sky would be spinning wildly around them, as if they were dancing on the moon.

She finally felt him pull away and shivered slightly, opening her eyes. Even the stars seemed to tremble. "Well…wow."

He laughed and released her to float beside him, their fingers laced. "Wow indeed."

She laughed and shook her head at his words, the mix of old and new sounding so strangely perfect in his voice. "We should get the stone to your dad." She said finally, smiling a bit sadly.

"We should." He whispered. He palmed her cheek and pulled her in for another – much shorter – kiss. "Come on then."

"Yeah…it's time to get you human again."

The two flew hand in hand only a short distance further, and finally they spotted the group on the cliffs. Toni grinned as they flew nearer, spotting her parents in the mix.

"Mom? Dad?" she asked softly, not caring that they wouldn't hear. The looks on their faces were so priceless she couldn't help but laugh though, waving as if they saw her flying every day.

"I suppose you won't have to keep all of this a secret anymore."

"I guess not." She said with a chuckle. "Still…it'll take a lot of explaining. And I might not tell them all the details."

"Let's hope not." Rudolf teased, waggling his eyebrows. Toni snorted and laughed again as they landed, before releasing his hand and going over to his father.

"I believe you've been looking for this." Toni said with a smile, pulling the stone from her jacket pocket and handing it to the amazed Frederick.

"The stone!" he said in amazement, as the others in the crowd gasped. "Thank you, my friend." The man said to her, truly smiling at her for the first time. Toni smiled back, and then at Rudolf who was looking at her proudly.

"Toni!"

"Mom!" she cried, skipping over to hug her parents. "Oh man, do I have a lot to tell you guys."

"I should say so." Bob said with a chuckle, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"The Stone of Attamon is ours!" Frederick announced, holding it high for everyone to see. A strange, wailing cry lifted from the throats of the vampires, their hands rising in the air with the spine chilling cheer. "Come everyone, it's time."

The vampires all gather about the cliff edge, watching the moon. The comet was so close to touching the perfectly full silver disc. Only moments were left. Toni noticed that the goofy looking vampire Rookery had caught earlier was there, accepted without question. Even the five vampiric cows watched the moon, as if they knew what was coming.

Frederic fitted the stone into place at the center of the amulet, holding it high. Slowly, the rings and stone started to spin, and he spoke the words Toni knew by heart.

"Ab ovo…in toto…nil desparendum…sine die!" he called as the comet brushed the moon's edge.

Toni felt her mother jump behind her when a beam of light shot from the moon to the amulet, the sky turning red and the moon black. "It's ok Mom." Toni said with a soft smile. "This is exactly like my dream."

Everything was going just as it should…but then it all went wrong. The beam of light cut off as something came between the cliffs and the moon, the great shadow impossible to see.

"What is that?" Toni asked.

"Hey…that's my blimp!" Bob realized. Toni gasped as she realized he was right. And at the bottom, hanging from the steel wire with murder in his eyes, was Rookery.

"No!"

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Yay for first kisses! I know it's not a page long description of the feel of his lips, but personally, I think that's a good thing, lol. Short but sweet is more realistic and easy to "Daaaawww..." at =P_

_I think I may have to draw that scene though... What about you guys? If you could see a scene from this story in a picture form, what would you like to see?_

_Your Artistic Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"No!" Toni shouted, stepping away from her parents as Rookery laughed. He swung right out over the vampires, kicking the amulet from Frederick's hand. The ritual was going all wrong!

Rookery jumped from the blimp's cord, his UV cross swinging around and making the vampires scream in pain. He managed to catch the amulet midair, still laughing like a maniac.

"No!" Toni shouted again, trying to run forward. Her father stopped her.

"Alright, that's it." He said angrily. He pulled off the apron he remembered he was wearing and shoved it into Toni's arms, stalking forward. He circled Rookery and gave him no warning before giving him a perfect right hook.

"Yeah! Go Dad!" Toni shouted proudly. Dottie went forward next, the reeling Rookery soon facing her. He held up his cross in an effort to scare her away, but she only smirked, looking exactly like her daughter as she did so.

"I don't think so." She said swinging her left hand into his stomach, and then kneeing him right in the gut as he bent over.

"Nice one mom!"

The amulet in the man's hand went flying. "Catch it Toni!" Dottie shouted, shoving Rookery back towards the cliff. Toni ran after the shining object in the air, jumping and snatching it right out of the air as Bob shoved Rookery right over the edge of the cliff.

Their celebration was short lived, as the blimp floated out of the way and everyone looked at the moon.

"The ceremony!" Frederick shouted, looking up at the moon. The comet had almost completely passed it by. "Toni?"

"Toni!" Rudolf shouted, turning to face her. "You know what we want, wish for it!"

Toni bit her lip but nodded, lifting the amulet into the air with both hands. It was more difficult than she could have ever imagined. With all her heart, she wanted nothing more than for Rudolf to stay here. With her. But that wasn't fair…for either of them. With a great effort, she shoved aside her desires for Rudolf to stay, instead wishing for just the opposite. She wished for them all to become human. To once more become a part of the puzzle that made up her world.

She didn't even flinch when the beam of red light shot to the jewel she held, her eyes not leaving the vampires on the cliff. And with every moment, she prayed and wished with all her heart.

Fog rolled in from the cliffs, swirling around each of the vampires on the cliff side. One by one, they disappeared into mist, pulling them into the sky. Rudolf's family were the last to go. First Gregory and Anna, then Frederick and Freda. Finally Rudolf turned, smiling at her one last time as the fog swirled around him, carrying him away.

Then, in the air, the fog swirled one last time above their heads, and zoomed off towards the moon.

The blood red sky turned blue once more, and the black disc of a moon brightened to its usual silvery grey. The comet was passing it, not to cross its path for another three hundred years. The waves at the base of the cliff were the only sound for miles, aside from the crickets that were starting up their songs once more.

Toni lowered the amulet in her hands, feeling strangely numb. The cliff was devoid of people aside from herself and her parents. Even the cows had been pulled away by the mist.

She slowly walked forward, right to the edge of the cliff. As if it brought her closer to the moon and to Rudolf. The metal in her hands made her look down, the red stone winking at her in the moonlight. It was one of only two pieces of tangible proof she really had that they'd ever been here. The amulet, and the silver twist hanging around her neck.

She reached up and gripped the shape so tightly that it would leave an imprint on her fingers. At the same time, she felt her parents come up behind her, Dottie resting a hand on her shoulder.

"What'd you wish for?" Bob asked her softly. Toni shook her head as a tear rolled down her cheek. The lump in her throat made it too difficult to breathe, let alone to speak. She finally turned and hugged her mother, crying softly.

"Come on sweetie…let's go home." The woman whispered, leading her to the land rover.

The ride home was silent, and Toni didn't remember any of it. She simply gazed out the window without seeing anything beyond it, reaching the house before she even knew they'd left the cliffs.

"Oh my God!" Dottie exclaimed when they reached their castle of a house. The front door had been demolished into splinters. Toni had forgotten about Rookery's one man siege, it seemed so long ago now.

"Rookery." She said softly as she walked over, hands in her jacket pockets.

"He came after you?"

"About a zillion times this week." Toni admitted with a shrug. "He locked me in a crypt earlier."

"What?" Dottie exclaimed, hurrying to look her over. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mom."

"If I'd known…" Bob said angrily. "I would have dragged him to the police rather than push him over that cliff."

"Oh dear, your hands. Come on, I'd better take a look at those." Dottie said, leading Toni inside and sitting her at the kitchen table. After everything that had happened today, the feeling of sitting in their normal kitchen brought tears to the girl's eyes again.

"Do you guys want to know?" she asked. "About everything?"

"Only if you're ready to share." Bob said as he took a seat.

"I am." Toni whispered. "I don't want to forget. I don't ever want anyone to forget."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Oh…Toni, you've got to look this time!" Kady said, chuckling to herself. Toni rolled her eyes but didn't look away from the sketchpad in her hands.

"Kady, you have pointed out every single barn and cow we've passed. I think I've seen them all."

"Oh come on, Toni. This isn't a cow, it's a guy!"

"So…more of a pig?"

Kady snorted. "Only in some cases. Will you look?"

"I'm not interested." Toni said in a flat voice. Kady opened her mouth to argue and Toni shook her head. "Kady, drop it. Please?"

The other girl sighed. "Fine. But only because it's you."

The girls were sitting side by side on a rickety old bus, returning home after the world's most boring field trip to the museum of Geology. Toni didn't care if it got them out of school for a day, or that it was the last field trip they'd ever have in high school. There was no way to make dirt interesting.

Kady had become Toni's best friend after Halloween, and the two had bonded as if they'd known each other for years. They were even planning on rooming together the next year when they both went off to college. Kady was every bit the ball of energy Toni had met the night at the dance, except it turned out she was also just as wild in other ways. Her black hair was always streaked with other colors, and her clothes were artfully ripped and torn and featured bands Toni had never even heard of. She was also a genius, and would be double majoring in chemical engineering and physics in university. She wanted to work at NASA or something, and Toni had no doubt she'd make her dream of going into space come true.

As the bus finally pulled into town, Toni smiled and put away her sketchbook. She still didn't know what she'd be majoring in, having decided that Undecided was a perfectly good starting point anyway.

"Now will you look?"

Toni rolled her eyes and laughed. "Alright, who?"

"That guy, on the isle in the front. Aren't his shoulders divine?"

Toni leaned across her friend to look and had to hold back an explosive laugh. "Kady, that's Flint!"

"What? No...no way!"

"Yeah." Toni informed her. Kady stared at the guy until he turned, then practically turned purple.

"Oh my gosh, is it!" she exclaimed in horror. Toni laughed at her as the bus stopped and they all got to their feet.

"Told you." She said in a smug voice. "I'm off home, I'll see you later!"

A short drive home later and she was sitting down to supper with her parents, and then doing her homework like a good student. She sketched for a while again and then finally hung her latest picture on the wall.

It was Rudolf lifting her through the star filled sky. And it was only one picture of many she'd drawn since he'd left. One wall of her room was covered in pictures of Rudolf and his family, even Rookery had gotten a few sketches done. He'd had the perfect villainy sneer before getting arrested a few counties over. It had been all over the news. Toni thought it served him right, and had even gone to visit him in jail to gloat. But now…all that was left were her drawings.

Dottie had suggested that she take them down and try and move on, but Toni refused. Her mind hadn't changed since that final October night.

She didn't want to forget.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_Really guys? Three reviews, that's it? I admit...I'm now disappointed. And I dunno if it's in myself. Was the kiss scene really that bad?_

_Well...hopefully it's just cuz of how late I posted and not because of the story...I still love you all, but I admit that even the simplest reviews telling me you enjoyed the chapter make my day! or night, seeing as i'm practically a vampire myself, lol._

_I'm considering doing a few little tag on chapters for the story...about what happens post-movie. Or maybe even a whole sequel. Would people be interested? It'll mean more original stuff rather than following the movie, and I always have fun building off the world :D  
_

_Your Hopeful Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Toni woke when Dottie threw her curtains open wide, letting the sunlight stream in. "Mom!" she complained, hiding under her blankets.

"Don't even think about it Toni, you promised to go shopping today, remember?"

"It's too early!" Toni called from under the blankets.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Dottie asked, simpering over.

"It's too early!"

"Oh really now…" Dottie didn't wait a moment longer before attacking, ticking Toni right through the blankets. Toni screeched and fought, laughing the entire time. "Are you awake now?"

"Yes! Yes I'm up! I'm getting up, promise!"

"Alright then. Don't be long, we'll eat lunch there."

"Fine." Toni grumbled as she left, sitting up and pulling her blankets away from her head, blond hair sticking up in every direction.

She hopped out of bed and dressed in a jeans and new tank top, sent from her aunt over in the States. She slipped on her runners as she hurried down the stairs, almost falling on her face in the process, and make it in record time.

"Ready!"

"Dottie, I have the strange hunch that Toni is ready to go." Bob said sarcastically, folding his newspaper.

"You know, I think you might be right. We'd best get to the car."

Toni rolled her eyes but laughed, following them outside. They drove to town and parked in the school parking lot, walking from there. The market was in the town square, but it was too beautiful of a day to drive all the way there.

"So who are you meeting here today?" Bob asked her. "Kady? Nigel and Flint?"

"I didn't plan anything with Kady, but she'll likely be here… Nigel and Flint are stuck on lawn duty." She added with a snicker. Somehow, over the past few months, the bullies had gone from absolute jerks, to real friends. She still didn't know how it had happened. Their grandfather had cut their allowances a few weeks before, and the boys were doing yard work around town to make some extra cash.

"Well you'd best be sure and go tease them for me." Dottie said with a grin.

"Careful there, I'd like to have a job when the day it done." Bob added.

"But McAshton baiting is so much fun!" Toni added with an exaggerated pout.

"Alright alright. I can't control you ladies anyway."

"That's right." Dottie said, kissing his cheek.

Toni rolled her eyes and spotted Flint over in a nearby yard. "Speak of the devil." She said with a laugh, hurrying over. "Hey there, bud."

"And hello to you, Yank. Is it market day already?"

"Yup. You get off at a decent hour?"

"Whenever we finish." He told her with a shrug. "Which will be pretty soon if Nigel ever manages to get his arse back here with the mulch."

Toni laughed and shook her head. "I don't envy you two. I'll see you later maybe?"

"Maybe. Nigel will be sorry he missed you." He said with a smirk. Toni blushed and sighed.

"Can't you try and steer him away from that crush of his? I'd hate to have to actually turn him down."

"No promises. Talk to you later, Toni."

"Bye!" she called, jogging back over to her parents. Bob gave her a look and she laughed. "Don't worry, you still have a job." She assured him.

They finally reached the Town Square and Toni grinned. Market day was always a bit of an adventure here. There was a bakery on the north side of the square, which opened its large front windows in order to sell things to the crowds outside rather than making them come into the store. Stalls lined the other edges, and created aisles of a sort across the middle. You never knew what you'd find there. Along with the typical farmers selling vegetables, meat, milk and eggs, you could find stalls with a sock darning competition, or dart throwing. Visiting tradesmen brought trinkets from other countries sometimes, and there always seemed to be some group or other selling something. Today it looked like the town's Quilting group were selling the winter's products.

"Toni, you want to go get the bread?"

"Sure." The girl replied, hurrying toward the bakery to get in line. She was waiting patiently when someone crashed into her.

"Toni!"

"Hello Kady." Toni said with a laugh, steadying the girl. "What's up?"

"Not much. Are you almost done?"

"I think so, Mom only asked me to get the bread."

"Perfect! You've got to practice if you want to get any good." The girl said, violently purple streaks in her hair matching the purple underside of the skateboard she held up.

"Hey, I'm already good." Toni pointed out. "I taught you everything you know."

"Fine then. You have to come practice if _I_ want to get any good." The girl amended with a laugh.

"You're next dearie." The bakery lady said, and Toni laughed, stepping forward to order a few loaves of bread. After a moment's pause, she requested two pastries as well.

"You spoil me so." Kady said with a gleeful bounce as Toni handed her one of the pastries.

"I know, and I still wonder why. It's not like you need the sugar." Toni laughed as she took a bite of her own treat.

"Oh, you know you love me. Are Flint and Nigel joining us this fine day?"

"I dunno." Toni said with a shrug, licking frosting from her fingers. "They're free when they're done with the yard they were doing."

"Who's yard are they working on?"

"I think…it was Mrs. Cocklefeild's house I saw them at."

"Oh…in that case, they'll be trapped there all weekend." Kady said with a snort.

"She's not that bad!" Toni insisted, swiping the skateboard and dropping it on the ground.

"She only likes you because you complimented her paintings."

"And I only complimented her paintings because they were gorgeous." Toni said reasonably. "Now, sit back and relax, and enjoy the show." She finished with a smirk, pushing off on the skateboard.

She weaved around the few people in the street, gaining a few outraged shouts and a few laughs. She jumped and performed a perfect grind along an old railing, leaping off with a joyful shout. She finally turned and made her way back down the long back street, now heading downhill. A few simple ollies and flips were all she could do in the small space, but it was still fun.

"Still think you can do better?" she taunted as she rode past Kady. The girl stuck her tongue out at her, making Toni laugh.

"There you are!"

"Oh, hey mom!" Toni said with a smile, circling her mother and father.

"Did you get the bread?"

"Yes, I got the bread. Kady's watching it." She pointed out, nodding over where Kady was sitting, the girl waved and Dottie rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't be surprised. I don't suppose you can go get sandwiches for us all?"

Toni grinned and nodded. "Be back in a flash." She promised, riding her way over to the stall in the corner of the square. It felt like the perfect summer day couldn't get any better.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_It's almost over! Only one more chapter, it'll all end tomorrow... Sad day! I'm going to miss updating here, I love getting reviews from people and having conversations with them. Making friends is fun :) I'll need to finish another story so I can keep going, lol. _

_And yes, Nigel and Flint are now Toni's friends! Toni probably kept teasing them but was never mean to them, and they sort of turned around their behavior... I image they're kind of crusading against bullies at school now even :) I blame the Scottish accents, they make me want to like them ^^;_

_Your goofy Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Looking good, Toni!" said Mr. Franks, owner of the sandwich stall, as she rode up on Kady's skateboard.

"Thank you, Mr. Franks." She said with a grin. "Think I can get two turkeys, a ham, and a chicken sandwich?"

"Sure thing, missy." He said, going to work. It was basically a Subway, but much much cheaper.

As the man worked, Toni looked around and spotted a sign. "Looks like the old McQuinn house got sold, huh?"

"About time. Place has been sitting empty for a whole year now." Mr. Franks said as he worked.

"I wonder who bought it."

"I dunno…some family from England. Hope they don't look down on us none."

"England huh?" she whispered. She watched the men moving the hodge-podge of furniture from the moving truck, feeling rather sorry for the family. After a year of sitting empty, the place was probably a mess.

"Alright, Missy, here you are. Don't drop those on your way back now."

Toni grinned at him, one foot on the skateboard. "I won't. See you next week, Mr. Franks!"

The girl wheeled around the edge of the square, avoiding the crowd around the middle until she realized that her parents and Kady had taken seats on the edge of the fountain to eat. She turned and went towards them instead, picking up the board rather than try and navigate around the many shoppers.

"Oh yum!" Kady said happily, grabbing her turkey sandwich with a delighted squeal. "Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Thomspson!"

Dottie chuckled and nodded at the girl. The four were too absorbed by their food for a minute to talk, but soon the easy conversation picked up where it had left off.

Toni was laughing at one of Kady's many stories when she looked at the old McQuinn house. She finally spotted the family who must be moving in…and dropped what was left of her sandwich right into the fountain.

"Toni!" Dottie gasped, hurrying to get it back before someone saw, not even noting that Toni had got up and started walking towards the newly sold house.

It was Anna. Toni had no doubt at all. The girl playing with the flowers in the planter, was defiantly Anna. Her blond hair was pulled back into a braid, but it still almost reached her knees. Her old fashioned dress had been replaced with a pretty pink one, bringing out color in her cheeks that hadn't been there before. Next, she saw Gregory, who came around the corner of the truck. His hair was spiked like before, the back of it long and pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a black band t-shirt with cut off sleeves.

Frederick and Freda were next, looking like…well, they looked really really cool. For parents at least. Freda's red leather jacket was perfect for her and her hair was now a wile mane of loose curls rather than being pulled into those two bunches. Frederick had the collar of his black trench coat popped up, much like that ridiculous collar on his old outfit.

And then…there he was, Rudolf. He wore jeans and a white t-shirt, a red, short sleeved, button down shirt over it. If he were wearing a long black coat of his own, Toni would almost say her looked the same. Except…it wouldn't have been enough. His skin looked warm and full of life, not the deathly pale it had been before. His lips and fingers weren't blue anymore. But even from here, she could tell his eyes were still black. The same as the first time she'd dreamt about them all those months ago.

"Hey!" she called as she pulled free of the crowd. Anna looked over at her and frowned, not recognizing her at all. Gregory gave the same reaction and their parents didn't even turn to look. "Hey!" she called again, coming forward a bit more. "It's me! Toni!"

Now, Rudolf turned. He looked at her once and then away, as if he'd never seen her before. It hurt more than she'd expected it to. Having him leaving her to become human hadn't hurt as badly as him ignoring her and thinking her a stranger.

"Wait! You…you've got to try and remember." She said, taking a hesitant step forward. "Toni…my name is Toni Thompson."

Rudolf looked at her again and then put a protective hand on his sister's shoulder, steering her away from the apparent crazy person.

"No…" Toni whispered, reaching up to clasp the silver twist hanging around her neck. She bit her lip for a moment as the family grabbed various bags and suitcases, preparing to take them inside. Rudolf had told her that it connected them. That'd he'd always hear the whistle, no matter what had happened or where they were.

"What the hell?" she asked herself, licking her lips. She slowly started to whistle, hearing it echo in her mind. With every second, she wished and hoped that Rudolf still had his necklace.

She almost choked when the boy froze, Anna bumping into him as he slowly turned. Toni whistled again, letting it fade as hope filled her eyes.

Rudolf took a step towards her, setting down the suitcase in his hand, staring at her. He knew that sound! From somewhere in his crazy vampire life…he knew that sound.

He took another step forward, eyes flicking over the girl's face. She seemed…distantly familiar, like something out of a dream.

"What…did you say your name was?" he asked.

"Toni." She said.

"With an I?"

She grinned. "With an I."

She watched as he stepped back, eyes widening as he reeled in sudden, surprising recognition. "Toni!"

She grinned slowly, stepping forward again. "Rudy?" she questioned.

He didn't answer in words. He simply strode across the space remaining between them and pulled her into single soul-searing kiss. The world around them faded into a blur, and all Toni seemed able to concentrate on were Rudolf's hands on her waist and cheek, and his lips on hers.

"Rudolf!" Toni distantly heard his mother exclaim. She smiled into the kiss, too busy enjoying it to bother with the others.

"Toni." He whispered when he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "It…it worked."

"Yeah, I can see that!" she said with a laugh, throwing her arms around his neck to hug him tightly. "I can't believe you came back!"

"Toni!" the blond pulled away from Rudolf to find Anna there, hugging her around the waist. "I bet I know what happened." The girl said smugly.

"And what would that be?" Toni asked her with a smile.

"When you were wishing for us to be human…you let another wish slip in. That we wouldn't forget everything."

Toni bit back a guilty look, looking sheepishly up as Gregory came over. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all." Rudolf assured her, slipping his hand into hers. Toni laughed in pure happiness, leaning against his side as Fredrick and Freda came over.

"So you're the reason we all felt the desire to come here." Freda said with a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind Anna's ears.

Toni smiled and shrugged. "I'm not complaining."

"Neither are we." Frederick assured her. "Ah, Bob and Dottie Thompson. It's wonderful to see you again, under more normal circumstances."

Toni grinned as the four adults started chatting the day away as if they were best friends. Gregory had disappeared, and when she finally sported him, he was happily kissing Kady in a shadowy alley. It was just like Kady…to act as if she's forgotten about her short time with the boy only to welcome him back as if he'd never left. Anna was joining the adults in conversation, still seeming too old for her twelve year old body.

"Come on." Toni said with a smile, tugging Rudolf off into the crowd and leading him along the winding streets.

"Where are we going?" he asked with a laugh.

"Anywhere. I don't care." Toni said with a smile. She spun to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. "I knew you'd come back." She whispered.

He chuckled and held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. "And I knew I'd find something here. I had no idea the thing I was missing so much was a person."

"Why did you come here of all places?" she asked, pulling away to look up at him.

"It was…entirely random, really." The boy admitted. "We were staying in this cheap little hotel, selling off the jewelry we'd been collecting as vampires. Stuff that was worthless when it was made is worth a lot now, just because it's all antique." He said with a laugh. "We saw an add on the television, for a resort here. The McAshton resort. And we all instantly wanted to come here."

Toni smiled up at him, green eyes holding black and both filled with happiness. It had been her suggestion that her father make a commercial in the first place. "Well I'm glad you did." She whispered.

"As am I, Toni. As am I." he said, leaning down once again to capture her lips with his.

Yup. It was the perfect summer day…and Toni knew that nothing could possibly spoil it. Not anymore.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

_That's it! It's over! And what do you know, a happy ending? I don't think it's possible for me to not have a happy ending, lol. Except in Spirals of Affection...it was very bittersweet at the end._

_So I may or may not do a sequel. I have a few ideas, but it'll take time to flesh them out and write them into a story. So don't expect anything right away, but keep an eye on my account :)_

_And, now that the story is over, I want everyone to tell me what their favorite scene was! And obviously what you thought of the thing overall. And yes, that includes all you future readers who haven't been following along as I post this! I don't care if it's been years, i'll still appreciate getting your opinion :D_

_Your Proud Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


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